In recent months, the issue of air quality in Tashkent has become a focus of public attention. Some news outlets and social media reported that emissions from greenhouses located on the Kazakh side of the border may be one of the causes of the Tashkent smog. This suggestion has sparked widespread controversy as environmental issues
On December 3, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev listened to proposals aimed at improving transportation management and reducing traffic congestion in Tashkent. In recent years, significant progress has been made in developing public transportation in the capital. The bus fleet has doubled to nearly 1,900 vehicles, and intervals have been reduced from 30 to 15 minutes.
On November 27, Tashkent hosted the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor (TCTC) and Connectivity Investors Forum with the participation of the European Union, South Caucasus and Central Asian countries, Türkiye, International Development Banks, the private sector and regional partners. The Forum demonstrated how the EU’s Global Gateway strategy is moving from vision to delivery, with new investments designed
On November 25, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held negotiations with President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, who arrived in Kazakhstan on a state visit. The leaders discussed priority areas of trade, economic, transport, logistics, cultural and humanitarian cooperation. Particular attention was paid to joint projects in energy, industrial cooperation, agriculture, IT, education, and medicine. Over
Between 25 and 27 November, European Commissioners Jozef Síkela and Marta Kos will be in Uzbekistan to advance the development of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor aimed at linking Europe and Central Asia within 15 days. The Corridor is a flagship initiative of the EU’s Global Gateway investment strategy in the region to foster prosperity and stability in Central Asia,
The 44th annual meeting of the Berlin Eurasian Club took place in Brussels last week, focusing on the theme “The Middle Corridor and Global Gateway.” The discussions centered on Kazakhstan’s growing role in shaping a new architecture of transport connectivity between Europe and Asia. The meeting brought together representatives of government from Kazakhstan and the
On November 17, negotiations were held between President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov in Tashkent. It was emphasized that the current state visit will become a significant step toward further strengthening the Uzbek-Turkmen relations of friendship, good-neighborliness and strategic partnership. Uzbek-Turkmen trade turnover has nearly doubled in recent years, exceeding
On November 13, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a government meeting to review the ongoing works in the railroad sector and plans for upcoming years. The large-scale transformation processes initiated in the railway sector are already yielding positive results. The industry ended last year with a net profit for the first time, and for the first
Kazakhstan has increased its export cargo transportation by rail through Russia, as well as rail transit along the China-Russia route. According to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, the country’s railway company, from January to October 2025, rail freight volumes between Kazakhstan and Russia totaled 71.6 million tons, a 5% increase compared to the same period last year,
The European Union and Turkmenistan held their 24th Joint Committee on November 7 in Ashgabat. The two sides exchanged on the progress made in the relations between the EU and Turkmenistan, particularly, in the areas of trade, connectivity, energy and environment, and a number of other areas of cooperation, according to the Delegation of the European
Czech manufacturer Škoda Group has announced plans to enter the Uzbek market through a joint venture. According to the company’s press service, Škoda Group continues its business activities focused on the Central Asian market and deepens its cooperation with Uzbekistan. Petr Novotný, CEO Škoda Group, participated in business negotiations led by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Brussels
Armenia on October 27 allowed Azerbaijani trucks traveling to Türkiye to cross its territory for the first time, marking a significant step toward easing decades of hostility between the two neighbors, Daily Sabah reported. Armenia has also invited Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to the 2026 European Political Community summit in Yerevan. According to local media
On October 21, the second meeting of the Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan Supreme Interstate Council was held in Astana with the participation of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Special attention was paid to expanding trade and economic ties. The two countries agreed to take the necessary measures to double bilateral trade turnover
Ahead of his state visit to Kazakhstan, which begins on October 21, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, gave an exclusive interview to Kazinform News Agency. In the interview, published on the official website of the Azeri president, Aliyev spoke about his view of bilateral cooperation with Kazakhstan and ongoing partnerships in trade, transport, energy,
Qazaq Air (Vietjet Qazaqstan) has announced the launch of two new international routes connecting the capital of Kazakhstan with key cities in Central Asia — Bishkek and Samarkand. The airline’s expansion in Central Asia is part of the strategic initiative of Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev aimed at strengthening ties between Central Asian countries to promote
On October 15, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev gave the official start to construction of a new Tashkent International Airport. Passenger traffic to the Uzbek capital has tripled over the past eight years, reaching 9 million people per year, and will exceed 24 million by 2040. However, the existing airport, designed for 11 million passengers per
Despite being landlocked, Central Asia has turned into a key transit hub in Eurasia due to its strategic location at the heart of the vast continent and the implementation of major transport infrastructure projects. According to the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), from 2020 to 2024 transit freight volumes through the Central Asian region increased by
North China’s Shanxi Province recently launched its first rail-road intermodal freight train along the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan intermodal transport corridor, marking the start of a new international logistics route linking the province with Central Asia, Xinhua reported with reference to China Railway Taiyuan Group Co., Ltd. The launch of the route highlights Shanxi’s economic transition from being
U.S. President Donald Trump’s meeting with the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in August culminated in the signing of a trilateral Joint Declaration, which, among others, envisions the U.S. entering the South Caucasus region as the primary driver of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project, according to an article published by
On October 9, the Second “Central Asia–Russia” Summit was held in Dushanbe. The event, chaired by the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, was attended by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and the
