Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda on March 2 met with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to reaffirm ADB’s strong partnership with the country and announced up to $5.4 billion in indicative financing during 2026–2029 in support of Kazakhstan’s development agenda. “ADB is committed to supporting Kazakhstan’s development priorities that promote sustainable, inclusive economic
From June 16 to 19, 2026, Tashkent will host the 5th Anniversary Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF 2026), the leading investment platform in Central Asia bringing together global investors, government representatives, international financial institutions, and major business leaders, the Uzbek Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade has announced. The anniversary forum will build upon the
Based on recent economic consensus from institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Central Bank (ECB), and the World Economic Forum (WEF) as of early 2026, globalization is not entirely “over,” but it is undergoing a profound structural shift. Economists generally agree that the era of hyperglobalization has stagnated—a trend accelerated by the
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is helping to create favourable conditions for the growth and development of domestic pharmaceutical production in Uzbekistan by supporting the operations of its long-term client, Samarkand England Eco-Medical (SEEM). The Bank is providing a loan of up to €20 million to SEEM and its sister-company, Bayan
On February 25 in London, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Yermek Kosherbayev took part in a roundtable meeting with representatives of the British business community. The British side was represented by Acting Minister of State for Business and Trade and Co-Chair of the UK side of the Kazakhstan-UK Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical
Chairman of Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliev on February 20 attended the capsule-laying ceremony marking the launch of construction of the Tamchy Special Financial Investment Territory, a special legal and regulatory jurisdiction located on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. Kasymaliev emphasized that the Tamchy zone is intended to become an international financial center,
On February 20, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a meeting to define priority tasks for the socio-economic development of the Republic of Karakalpakstan. It was noted that due to its vast territory and mineral reserves, Karakalpakstan has considerable economic and investment potential. Tangible changes have taken place in Karakalpakstan’s economy in recent years. Eight years ago, the
In 2025, Uzbekistan’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 7.7 percent and exceeded 147 billion dollars. More than half of the economic growth was accounted for by the services sector. In agriculture, the average income per hectare increased from 4,500 to 5,000 dollars, while labor productivity grew by 4.7 percent. This was announced at a
According to the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), mutual accumulated investment between Central Asian countries is rapidly growing. In 2024-2025, it increased by approximately $400 million (+42%), reaching $1.3 billion. Compared to 2020, the volume of mutual foreign direct investment (FDI) has almost quadrupled, reflecting sustainable investment ties within the region. According to the EDB’s report
On February 4-5, Bishkek is hosting the B5+1 Forum, bringing together officials and business leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and the United States to explore investment opportunities and deepen economic ties, RFE/RL reported. Among the forum’s most visible participants is US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Ambassador Sergio Gor, who told
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, says it is investing in Uzbekistan’s East Can Solutions to develop the country’s first greenfield aluminum can production facility. Based in Tashkent, the plant will supply leading beverage producers with fully recyclable metal packaging to strengthen domestic supply, meet rising market demand, and reduce
Two years ago, Kazakhstan launched the project of Alatau City, intended to become a platform for the implementation of advanced technologies, a magnet for investors, and a generator of public wealth. Economist Aidar Alibayev shared his opinion on the mega-project’s prospects with Orda.kz. “How did the idea of Alatau City appear? Initially, there was talk
In 2025 the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) invested almost US$2 billion (€1.72 billion) through 120 projects in Central Asia and Mongolia. Uzbekistan was the leading recipient of EBRD funding in 2025 for the sixth year running (over US$ 1 billion, or €880 million). The EBRD provided almost US$ 440 million (€378 million) for
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has released a new report, The Eurasian Region and Partner Countries in Asia: Analysis of Investment Flows. The report focuses on mutual investments between 13 countries of the Eurasian region (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan) and partner countries in Asia (Afghanistan,
The fourth meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council was held in Ankara on January 29 under the co-chairmanship of President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The parties emphasized that mutual trade volumes, as well as the number of joint ventures and projects with leading Turkish companies, continue to
On January 28, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov held a meeting on the implementation of the President’s instruction to launch a new investment cycle and increase the volume of high-quality investment. “The President has tasked all state bodies and organizations with increasing the inflow of high-quality investment and ensuring the implementation of breakthrough projects
An investment project for deep chrome processing will be implemented in Kazakhstan’s Aktobe region. The project is aimed at developing a chemical and metallurgical cluster and forming new production facilities with high added value, according to Kazakh Invest national company. The project, implemented by Sichuan YinHe Chemical Co. Ltd., one of the world’s largest players in
On January 27, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Yermek Kosherbayev held talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel Gideon Sa’ar, who arrived in Astana on an official visit. The sides discussed the current state and prospects for the development of political dialogue, trade, economic and investment ties, cooperation in the field of tourism,
Kazakhstan registered 4,400 new companies or branches with foreign participation in 2025, driven primarily by businesses from China and Uzbekistan, Kursiv reported citing data from Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics. As of January 1, 2026, Kazakhstan had about 63,900 legal entities and branches with foreign participation. Among countries that opened more businesses or joint ventures
Hideki Tanabe is a senior international development expert who stood at the origins of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Tajikistan. Having completed his tenure as the first Head of JICA’s independent office in the country, which he led since its establishment in 2017, he played a key role in integrating Japanese technical assistance