The opening ceremony of the new Fire and Rescue Station No. 9 took place in Bishkek last week. The construction of the station was part of the project “Improvement of fire safety of population by strengthening capacity of the Fire and Rescue Services in the Kyrgyz Republic”, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
The World Bank has approved a comprehensive project to enhance digital services and improve digital skills in Tajikistan, including dedicated interventions targeting rural areas. The initiative aims to improve the delivery of digitally-enabled public services and boost digital literacy, fostering a more inclusive and resilient economy. The Tajikistan Digital Foundations Project, with a total funding of
Russia’s state-owned atomic company Rosatom is selling its stakes in uranium deposits in Kazakhstan to Chinese-owned companies as the Central Asian nation looks to avoid any international sanctions against Russian-linked assets and a sign of China’s growing influence in the region, RFE/RL reported. Kazatomprom, the world’s largest producer of uranium, said Uranium One Group —
A new World Bank report highlights Kazakhstan’s progress in reducing poverty and the challenges ahead for inclusive growth, stressing that the pace of poverty reduction has slowed in recent years despite significant advances since the early 2000s. According to the “Kazakhstan Poverty and Equity Assessment 2024” report, making fiscal policy more pro-poor, improving the quality of education, and strengthening
At the 9th meeting of the Working Party on the Accession of Uzbekistan on December 5 and 6, a high-level government delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev reaffirmed the country’s strong intention to swiftly advance negotiations with World Trade Organization (WTO) members, with a view to completing the process by 2026. The high-level
On December 10, the British think tank Henry Jackson Society presented a research report titled “Understanding Kazakhstan’s Strategic Importance: A Middle Power Partner for the UK in Central Asia” in the UK Parliament. The event featured speeches by the principal Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Nusrat Ghani MP, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the
On December 11, Tashkent hosted the first Uzbekistan-Croatia Business Forum, marking a significant milestone in strengthening trade, economic, and investment ties between the two countries. The forum was co-chaired by the Minister of Investments, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan, Laziz Kudratov, and the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia, Gordan Grlić Radman. The
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Institute, and the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), in the spirit of promoting Islamic Finance in Central Asia, have held a panel discussion, “Bridging the Capital Road: CIS & GCC,” as part of the Islamic Banking program at Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW). This panel highlighted the transformative
On December 11, Kazakhstan Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held a meeting of the Board of Directors of JSC National Company Kazakh Invest to review the results of the company’s work and plans for further attraction of investments into the country’s economy. Chairman of the Board of NC Kazakh Invest JSC Yerzhan Yelekeyev reported that this
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has published its Macroeconomic Outlook, summarizing a preliminary overview of economic developments in the Bank’s six member states — Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan — in 2024, along with key macroeconomic projections for 2025, as well as for 2026 and 2027. EDB analysts estimate that GDP growth in
On December 4–5, a meeting of the European Union’s Working Group on the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) was held in Brussels. The event brought together representatives from 28 EU member states and, for the first time, a delegation from Uzbekistan, represented by the Ministry of Investments, Industry, and Trade (MIIT). During the meeting, the
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) and Eurasian Logistics Park LLP have signed a loan agreement for the construction of a Class A industrial and logistics complex in the Almaty region of Kazakhstan. The loan amounts to 16.6 billion tenge. The project provides for the construction of two modern warehouse buildings with a total area of 50
On December 4 in Bishkek, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Japarov held the 12th meeting of the Kazakh-Kyrgyz Intergovernmental Council. The meeting addressed issues of expanding trade and economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as interaction in the field of transport and
Deputy Prime Minister–Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu participated in the 28th meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in Mashhad, Iran on December 3. From January 1, 2025, the ECO chairmanship will pass from Iran to Kazakhstan for one year. During the
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $22.58 million small expenditure financing facility (SEFF) that will support activities to boost project readiness and make project implementation more efficient and sustainable in Kyrgyzstan. The financing includes a $13.36 million concessional loan and a $9.22 million grant from the Asian Development Fund. It will fund project preparatory
On November 28, an Uzbek-Turkish business forum was held in Tashkent as part of the visit of a delegation of Turkish business circles headed by Chairman of the Ostim united industrial zone Orhan Aydin. It was attended by Uzbek Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Akram Aliyev and heads of more than 200 large
On November 27, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a meeting to discuss the current state of attracting foreign investment and plans for the next year. It was stated at the meeting that over the past 10 months, Uzbekistan has attracted more than $26 billion in foreign investment, a 1.7-fold increase compared to last year. These
On November 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a state visit to Kazakhstan. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called Putin’s visit a historic event that marks an important milestone in the development of Kazakh-Russian relations. “For Kazakhstan, Russia is a strategic partner and a reliable ally. We are united by unbreakable bonds of friendship, centuries-old good
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says it is launching three Women’s Creative Labs in At-Bashy, Kochkor, and Kyzart villages in Kyrgyzstan’s Naryn region. These Labs will be run by the Public Foundation “Alliance of Trainers and Consultants – PF ATiK” and the Public Association “Naryn Center for Economic Development”. The Women’s Creative Lab is
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is helping one of Uzbekistan’s first digital financial institutions, TBC Bank Uzbekistan (TBC UZ), to expand its services and provide lending to micro and youth-led or owned businesses as well as women entrepreneurs across the country. A senior loan of up to US$10 million (€9.1 million equivalent)
