The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced the launch of a new initiative aimed at strengthening the handicraft value chain in Kyrgyzstan as part of the Aid for Trade project. This project is designed to enhance the production and export potential of Kyrgyzstan’s traditional felt and leather products (handicrafts), which have growing demand in both foreign markets
On February 19, in Amman, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan. Tokayev said that the purpose of his visit was to give additional momentum to bilateral relations, friendship, and trade and economic ties. “I believe that we share common views and assessments of the processes taking place
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan on February 18 hosted the signing of an agreement for the implementation of an investment project for the production and deep processing of non-ferrous metals in Kazakhstan with China’s East Hope Group, a leading global manufacturer of non-ferrous metals, semiconductor technologies, and industrial innovations. The signing ceremony was
The Council of the European Union (EU) has announced that the President of the European Council, António Costa, along with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, will be travelling to Uzbekistan for the first-ever EU-Central Asia summit on 3-4 April 2025, with the participation of the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
On February 17, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Emir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Sabah held negotiations in the city of Al Kuwait. The leaders adopted a joint statement on the development of Uzbek-Kuwaiti relations of comprehensive partnership. The talks focused on developing and strengthening Uzbek-Kuwaiti relations of friendship and multifaceted partnership
On February 15, prior to an official visit of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Kuwait, an Uzbek-Kuwaiti business forum took place in Al-Kuwait, the capital of this country. The event was attended by leaders from ministries and agencies, industry associations, and representatives from over 100 major companies and financial institutions from both countries. The delegations
According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and Construction, in 2024, a total of 18.96 million square meters of housing were built in Kazakhstan, a record figure since the country’s independence. This translated into 172,089 new homes (both individual houses and apartments). Of them, 39,064 were individual houses. The city of Shymkent, as well as the
Construction of the Great Silk Road industrial technopark has begun in cooperation with Chinese company Zhejiang Holley Global Industry Development on 227 hectares of land in the city of Almalyk. Around 100 enterprises will be located in the park, focusing on areas such as electrical engineering, textiles, building materials, and pharmaceuticals. Over 12,000 new jobs
On February 13, the first meeting of the Kyrgyz-British Strategic Dialogue was held in London, chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic Meder Abakirov and the UK Minister of State for Europe and Central Asia Stephen Doughty, the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry reported. During the meeting, delegations discussed key areas of cooperation between the
Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom continue to steadily expand their bilateral strategic dialogue and cooperation. Having marked a symbolic anniversary on January 19 – the 33rd year since the establishment of diplomatic relations – the two countries held the 8th meeting of the Kazakhstan-UK Strategic Dialogue in London on February 11. Deputy Minister of Foreign
On February 7, Tashkent hosted a series of events aimed at enhancing Uzbek-Mongolian trade, economic, and investment cooperation. The agenda was preceded by a bilateral meeting between the heads of delegations from the two countries: Deputy Prime Minister Zhamshid Khodjaev representing Uzbekistan and Vice Prime Minister Sainbuyan Amarsaikhan, a member of the Great State Khural
The integration of Central Asian states and the formation of a common space for cooperation have always been considered an inevitable process that will sooner or later determine the main trends in the region’s development. The very understanding of Central Asia, based on historical, cultural and religious commonalities, is not about creating new but rather
On February 5 in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov, who was in China on a state visit. As reported by Xinhua, Xi said that bilateral relations have achieved leapfrog development in recent years and been elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era. He said that
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev paid an official visit to Malaysia on February 4-5 at the invitation of Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim. President Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister Ibrahim held talks in a narrow format and with the participation of official delegations. Following the talks, a Joint Statement on deepening bilateral cooperation towards strategic
The First High-Level Committee Meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) under the chairmanship of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Alibek Bakayev was held on February 3 in Tehran. The meeting brought together deputy foreign ministers from Azerbaijan, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, the Permanent Representative of Kyrgyzstan to
In an interview with Xinhua news agency ahead of his state visit to China, Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov lauded strategic partnership between the two countries and said that China is one of Kyrgyzstan’s main trade and investment partners. The text of the interview was published on Japarov’s official website. President Japarov said that Kyrgyzstan deeply
Kazakh Invest, Kazakhstan’s national investment company, and China’s Polyking New Horizons Technology Industry Co. Ltd have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on projects in the field of low-altitude economy. Under the agreement, an industrial park is planned to be constructed in Kazakhstan, integrating drone technologies, smart cities, and intelligent manufacturing. The project will involve $200
According to the Afghan Ministry of Industry and Commerce, during the past ten months of the current solar year (which began in March 2024), trade between Afghanistan and five Central Asian countries reached $1.696 billion, including $112 million of Afghan exports and $1.584 billion of imports, TOLOnews reported. Afghanistan exported to the Central Asian countries
The World Bank’s latest economic update on Kazakhstan, “Funding the Future: Boosting Revenues for Lasting Investments,” presents a mixed outlook for the country’s economy, with a projected acceleration of growth from 4 percent in 2024 to 4.5-5 percent in 2025, driven by increased oil production and continued fiscal support. According to the report, growth is expected to
In 2024, Kyrgyzstan’s gross international reserves grew by $1,851,600,000 and reached $5,088,100,000, a 57.2% increase compared to 2023, Melis Turgunbaev, the Chairman of the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic (NBKR), wrote on his Facebook page. According to Turgunbaev, one of the key factors behind the increase in reserves was the rising price of gold,
