During a state visit to Georgia on July 3, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held talks with Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze. The leader of Uzbekistan noted that his state visit to Georgia, the first by a President of Uzbekistan in more than two decades, holds special significance for elevating Uzbek-Georgian relations to a
THE SILK ROAD’S NEW REALITY In 2013, China’s newly nominated President Xi Jinping gave a much-heeded speech in Astana, Kazakhstan’s brushed-up capital. His main concern focused on nothing less than how to invigorate the ancient Silk Roads, “in order to promote people-to-people friendship”. After eleven years, in 2024, jointly with Kazakhstan’s President Tokayev, Xi Jinping
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on July 1 reviewed proposals to develop Uzbekistan’s transport and logistics system and make more effective use of the country’s transit potential. Today, Uzbekistan has broad opportunities to become a major land transport hub connecting East and West. Four thousand kilometers of international transit corridors pass through the country’s territory, and the
The Uzbekistan–Georgia Business Forum was held in Tbilisi on July 1, providing a platform for advancing bilateral trade, investment and industrial cooperation between the two countries. The event brought together government officials, financial institutions and business leaders from Uzbekistan and Georgia to explore new opportunities for economic partnership, according to the Uzbek Ministry of Investments,
As part of ongoing efforts to create a more convenient and safer environment for tourists in Uzbekistan, measures are being taken to develop the country’s car rental (Rent-a-Car) services. An open dialogue was held at the Tourism Committee, bringing together representatives of the Ministry of Digital Technologies, the Customs Committee, insurance companies, and car rental
During his working visit to China on June 23, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov held a meeting with Premier of the State Council of China Li Qiang. The parties discussed the implementation of agreements reached at the highest level, as well as prospects for further strengthening Kazakh-Chinese cooperation, including trade development, expansion of investment
A ceremony to present the Dostlug (Friendship) oil tanker in an online format was held on June 22 with the participation of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov. The Dostlug tanker, gifted by Azerbaijan to Turkmenistan, was built at the Baku Shipyard. The tanker has an overall length of 141
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid an official visit to Brussels on 23 June and met with António Costa, President of the European Council and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. The leaders welcomed Tokayev’s visit as a strong signal of the growing strategic partnership between the European Union and Kazakhstan at a
On June 23, the European Commission launched the Connectivity Agenda Platform and concluded agreements with international financial institutions expected to mobilise up to €2 billion for strategic connectivity investments in the Black Sea region and the South Caucasus, the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Kazakhstan reported. The Platform was unveiled at a high-level
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is facilitating more fluid cargo and passenger traffic flows along the Trans-Caspian Corridor, the EU’s Global Gateway flagship initiative, and supporting the establishment of sustainable transport connections in Central Asia by helping to finance the completion of upgrades to a key transport route in western Kazakhstan. The
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