On June 21, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin held talks in Kabul with Afghan Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund and Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar. The parties discussed issues of humanitarian, trade, economic, and investment cooperation. Particular attention was paid to cooperation in the mining and metallurgy sector.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is providing funds to develop sustainable transportation solutions in Nukus, the sixth-largest city in Uzbekistan and the capital of the autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan, in the latest project under the EBRD Green Cities programme. The EBRD’s sovereign loan of up to US$ 37 million (€ 32.2 million)
Arman Issetov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, and Diego Martínez, State Secretary for Foreign and Global Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain took part in the first Kazakhstan-Spain Forum held on June 17 in Astana, according to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry. Deputy Minister Issetov noted the active
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the government of Uzbekistan have agreed to deepen their long-term strategic cooperation, helping to establish a competitive, resilient, green and well-governed private sector and supporting the preparation and implementation of public-sector projects, according to the EBRD. The enhanced partnership framework agreement (EPFA) between the two parties will
Kazakhstan and Iran have agreed to accelerate the development of the North-South international transport corridor and jointly use Kazakh and Iranian sea ports, according to the Kazakh Ministry of National Economy. The issue was on the agenda of a meeting between Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy, Serik Zhumangarin and an Iranian
President Sadyr Japarov has signed amendments to legislative acts on road safety. The amendments were passed by the Jogorku Kenesh (parliament) on April 15, 2026, toughening penalties for drunk driving. The new legislation introduces criminal liability for drivers caught for repeated drunk driving. Drunk driving committed within a year after a first such offence will
Construction of the first container ship with a capacity of 780 TEUs for Kazakhstan has begun at Azerbaijan’s Baku Shipyard. According to the Kazakh Ministry of Transport, the project is a collaboration between the national maritime shipping company Kazmortransflot and Abu Dhabi Ports Group. It will build two modern container ships designed for transporting containerized
Kyrgyzstan’s airlines have been removed from the European Union’s Air Safety List, the Kyrgyz presidential press service announced on June 8. According to the press service, Kyrgyzstan was notified by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport that all air carriers certified in the country had been removed from the list, which includes airlines
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) and the Ministry of Finance of Tajikistan have signed an agreement to finance the construction of the first section of the Labijar–Kalai-Khumb highway. The project is of strategic importance for the development of the country’s transport infrastructure; it will strengthen transport links between the districts of republican subordination and the
Kazakhstan has begun exporting its oilseed products to Iran through the Caspian Sea in a move capable to increase supplies and diversify export routes, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. The first shipment of rapeseed oil was sent from the Kazakh port of Aktau, marking an important step in strengthening Kazakhstan’s position in oilseed
Specialists from Russia and Uzbekistan are currently conducting technical and economic studies for the trans-Afghan railway project, TOLOnews reported citing Russian Railways. The project aims to establish a railway corridor linking Central and South Asia through Afghanistan. Sergey Pavlov, First Deputy General Director of Russian Railways, said during a meeting of the Railway Transport Council
On May 13, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev approved proposals to ensure high-quality and safe passenger services, as well as increase the efficiency of the Tashkent metro. The growth in the population and the number of visitors to the capital, the expansion of the city, and increasing demand for public transport require taking metro development to a new
The first return shipment has been organized along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) from Türkiye to China via Kazakhstan. KTZ Express, a subsidiary of Kazakhstan’s national railway company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), in collaboration with Türkiye’s Pacific Eurasia Lojistik Dış Ticaret A.Ş. sent a container train from Türkiye to China via Kazakhstan, according
Turkmenistan has put into operation a new dry cargo vessel, Gadamly. This historic event is expected to strengthen Turkmenistan’s position in the Caspian Sea region as an important transport and transit corridor. Built at the Balkan Shipyard in Turkmenbashi city in collaboration with Koryo Shipbuilding Industry Technology (Republic of Korea), Gadamly is designed for the
Uzbekistan Airports JSC and Allied Biofuels FE LLC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support future cooperation on the supply of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and e-Sustainable Aviation Fuel (e-SAF) in Uzbekistan. According to Allied Biofuels, the agreement marks an important milestone in the development of Uzbekistan’s sustainable aviation fuel ecosystem. It supports the country’s ambition to become a regional hub for cleaner
The China-Europe Railway Express has made 130,000 trips by May 9, 2026, marked by the departure of a freight train from Zhengzhou, capital of central China’s Henan Province, bound for Hamburg, Germany, Xinhua reported. Total cargo value has exceeded 520 billion U.S. dollars, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. The company said
A new transit corridor has been established for transporting goods from China to Afghanistan via Uzbekistan, TOLOnews reported. Officials from the country’s transport sector and the company Uztemiryulkonteyner have stated that this route is a combination of rail and road transport. According to the plan, containers first move from China by railway, pass through Kazakhstan
A bilateral technical meeting of the working group on the implementation of the provisions of the Agreement between the Governments of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on the mutual application of electronic systems for the certification of origin of goods was held in Tashkent, the Delegation of the European Union to Uzbekistan reported. The initiative is being
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is helping to improve Central Asia’s regional connectivity and boosting the operational efficiency of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ or Kazakhstan Railways) by investing up to $125 million in a Eurobond issue by the company of up to $1 billion, which was listed on the London Stock
KazFoodProducts Holding has launched commercial production of BI-95 motor fuel, produced using bioethanol from grain. This is the first project in Kazakhstan where agricultural product undergoes a full deep processing cycle and is then marketed as motor fuel, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. BI-95 is already available at gasoline stations. Bioethanol is produced at