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Starting May 5, Centrum Air is launching direct flights from Tashkent to Baku and Almaty, offering travellers a fast, convenient, and refreshingly symbolic spring connection. These aren’t just new routes on a map — they’re new ways to get closer: to the mountains, loved ones, favourite cuisines, and unforgettable experiences. Spring brings new journeys and a reminder that true closeness isn’t measured in kilometers, but in the ability to be there.

Tashkent – Baku: A Meeting with the Caspian

Flight day: Mondays

Departure from Tashkent: 16:15

Arrival in Baku: 18:20

Return flight: 19:20

Arrival in Tashkent: 22:50

In just...

Uzbekistan aims to strengthen industrial cooperation, expand regional projects and develop nuclear technologies for agriculture and healthcare. These priorities were announced during President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s visit to the INNOPROM Central Asia exhibition in Tashkent on April 28.

During his visit President Mirziyoyev emphasized the significant potential for expanding economic partnerships and generating new business ideas. He expressed confidence that the forum would drive the launch of major new projects and foster the development of long-term cooperation.

On the sidelines of the event, President Mirziyoyev met with several high-level figures. He held talks with Denis Manturov, First Deputy Chairman of the...

Uzbekistan is actively introducing a digital labelling system. It is becoming clear that this tool affects not only the economy but also the health of the population.

Currently six product groups must undergo mandatory digital labelling in Uzbekistan. These include alcoholic and tobacco products, household appliances, beer and brewing products, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, water and soft drinks. In early 2025 a voluntary labelling project for dietary supplements (DSs) was launched. From May 1 this year, agrochemicals will also be labelled on a pilot basis.

Quality Control and Safety

Digital labelling is more than a Data Matrix code on...

An Uzbekistani delegation has travelled to Russia to discuss labour migration and the protection of migrant workers, according to the press service of the Prosecutor General’s Office.

Representatives of the Prosecutor General’s Office, the State Security Service, the Migration Agency and other departments will take part in the first meeting of the interdepartmental working group.

As of early April this year, Russia hosted more than 6.5 mln foreigners, with around one tenth residing illegally.

According to the migrant service platform, around 55% of labour migrants in Russia come from Uzbekistan. Migrants from Tajikistan account for another 40%.

The number of registered industrial enterprises in Uzbekistan reached 112,400 as of April 1, 2025, according to the National Statistics Agency.

The number of enterprises grew by 4.1% over the past year. Over five years, the figure rose by 22.9%.

In the first quarter of this year, the production of industrial goods exceeded UZS 211.3 trillion ($16.4 bn), showing an annual growth of 6.5%. As of early April, the largest volume came from Navoi Region, reaching UZS 39.7 trillion ($3.07 bn).

American companies operating factories in China now face mounting challenges as the trade conflict between Beijing and Washington intensifies, according to the Financial Times.

Corporations such as Apple and Tesla must first pay a 125% tariff to import American raw materials and components into China. They then face an additional 145% tariff on the value of finished products when exporting them back to the US.

Beyond the tech giants, a wide range of smaller American businesses also struggle under the weight of these tariffs. Several firms from third countries find themselves affected too, as they rely on American components...

The majority of highly liquid stocks on Uzbekistan’s Republican Stock Exchange (RSE) Toshkent showed mixed performance between April 18 and April 25, while the Uzbekistan Composite Index (UCI) rose by 1.2%.

Among the top gainers were:

Leading the losses were:

In terms of deal count, the top three companies were:

By trading volume in soums, the leaders were:

Fitch Ratings has assigned Tashkent a credit rating of “BB-” with a stable outlook. This marks the first-ever credit rating for the capital of Uzbekistan, according to the city’s administration.

Fitch notes that Tashkent’s debt burden remains manageable, and its revenues are growing. These factors indicate high financial responsibility and efficient governance in the city.

«Tashkent has become the first and only city in Central Asia to receive an internationally recognised BB- rating, which significantly strengthens its position on the global stage,» emphasised the capital’s administration.

This rating will also enhance the...

Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi discussed ways to strengthen economic and political ties with India and Uzbekistan, Tolo News reports.

Muttaqi held talks with an Indian representative and spoke by phone with his Uzbek counterpart Bakhtiyor Saidov. One of the key topics was organising a trilateral meeting on the construction of the Trans-Afghan railway involving Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan.

The Afghan side expressed readiness to launch major investment projects and deepen trade, transport and political cooperation with Tashkent. The ministers discussed ways to expand economic and transit collaboration.

Experts told Tolo News that building the railway...

China expresses readiness to discuss customs tariffs with the United States emphasising that dialogue must be based on mutual respect and benefit. Chen Xu, China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, shared this position in a statement to RIA Novosti.

Chen stressed that the United States should take the first step towards opening discussions on the issue. He pointed out that Washington had initiated the current situation and said that Beijing remains open to dialogue.

“If they want a dialogue, the door remains open. It was the Americans who started this whole process...

Nineteen enterprises are currently operating in the Chirchik technocluster, with the number of resident companies reaching 27 by the end of April, according to the press service of the head of Tatarstan.

Authorities launched the Chirchik technopark in spring 2022. They allocated more than $23 mln for the development of its infrastructure. By the end of April this year, work is underway on 33 investment projects.

Rustam Minnikhanov, the head of Tatarstan, is visiting Uzbekistan. During his trip, he visited the Chirchik Technopark, the Navoi Free Economic Zone and the industrial park in Bukhara. The Tatarstan side is also...

Uzbekistan’s judokas finished their bouts with two gold, two silver and three bronze medals at the Asian Judo Championships in Thailand.

Today the winners in the heavyweight categories emerged. In the under-90kg final two Uzbek athletes faced each other — Shahzodkhuja Sharipov took the gold while Nurbek Murtazaev secured silver.

Marjona Kuchimova also won a bronze medal in the under-78kg category.

Overall, Uzbekistan’s judokas concluded the individual events with a strong performance, placing second in the medal table behind Japan. Team events are scheduled to take place tomorrow.

Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has extended his condolences to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian following the explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas. The tragic incident has resulted in numerous casualties and injuries, as well as significant damage.

President Mirziyoyev conveyed his heartfelt sympathy to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to all those injured.

Kursiv Uzbekistan reported that on Saturday, a powerful explosion and fire occurred at Shahid Rajaee Port in southern Iran. The explosion killed 18 people, and around 800 others were injured. Authorities stated that the cause could be related to...

Chinese forces have taken control of the Sandy Cay reef, which is part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, located just a few kilometres from the Philippine military island of Titu. This information comes from the Financial Times, citing the Chinese television channel CCTV.

The report states that Chinese coast guard officers raised the flag of the People’s Republic of China on the reef to assert their territorial rights and document what they claim to be illegal activities by the Philippine side. According to Chinese media, China has gained control over the waters surrounding Sandy Cay...

Citizens of Uzbekistan can no longer apply for a tourist electronic visa to Saudi Arabia. The country’s name has been removed from the list of eligible nations on the official eVisa application website.

Previously, Uzbek citizens could obtain electronic visas for tourism and performing Umrah through a simplified process.

Uzbekistan gained access to Saudi Arabia’s eVisa system in 2023. At that time along with Uzbekistan, citizens from seven other countries also joined the programme bringing the total number of eligible nations to 57.

Authorities have not yet provided an official explanation for the changes.

The removal coincides with a...

A powerful explosion and fire hit Shahid Rajaee Port in southern Iran on Saturday, killing 18 people and injuring around 800 others. Authorities believe a shipment of chemical material used for rocket fuel production may have triggered the blast.

Firefighters battled the blaze throughout the night using helicopters. The explosion happened on the same day Iranian and US officials met in Oman for talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Iranian officials did not confirm whether it was a terrorist attack. However, Iran’s Foreign Minister said security services remained on high alert due to the risk of sabotage.

According to private...

Uzbekistan’s car market posted a sharp decline in the first quarter of 2025 losing 19.7% in sales amid tightened non-tariff restrictions and falling consumer demand, according to an analysis by Avtostat.

Industry experts reported that the market contracted by 12% in January, 21.2% in February and 26.4% in March. This marked the first serious downturn after two years of steady growth during which sales repeatedly broke records. In 2024, 423,600 vehicles were sold in total.

Cobalt Leads the Market

Chevrolet maintained its market leadership with a 67% share despite a 15.3% drop in sales. Daewoo ranked second with...

Delegations from across the globe gathered to reflect on achievements and take bold, tangible steps toward greater gender equality in the tech sector.

Signing the Osaka Protocol: A Global Commitment

A defining moment of the summit was the signing of the Osaka Protocol — a historic global commitment to accelerate gender equality in the digital era. Among the proud signatories was Uzbekistan, represented by Kamola Sobirova, President of the national delegation and a leading voice from the Ministry of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The Osaka Protocol is more than a statement of...

A new public services project has been launched in Uzbekistan. Photo: EU Delegation to Uzbekistan

The European Union, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Uzbekistan, and the Ministry of Justice have launched a new initiative titled “Further Improvement of Public Service Delivery in Uzbekistan.”

The project will focus on the digitalisation of public services, with special attention given to the needs of residents in remote areas. It also aims to support women, youth, the elderly and persons with disabilities while encouraging volunteerism, youth engagement and private-sector participation.

The project, funded by the European Union with a budget of...

Uzbek and Russian specialists will jointly work on designing the Trans-Afghan Railway, according to TASS, citing the press center of the Russian Trade Mission in Uzbekistan.

The new transport corridor aims to establish transit routes connecting Southeast Asia with CIS countries, China, and Europe. It is expected that the Trans-Afghan Railway will reduce cargo transportation costs by up to 40%.

The railway will also become part of the larger North-South transport corridor. The implementation of this logistics project is set to strengthen Uzbekistan’s position as a key regional hub.

“According to estimates, the North-South route is...

Uzbekistan has won an international arbitration case against Turkish company Bursel Tekstil Sanayi Ve Diş Ticaret A.Ş, according to the Ministry of Justice. The company had filed a $700 mln claim against Uzbekistan.

The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) ruled in favor of Tashkent in the fall of 2024.

Bursel Tekstil alleged that the Uzbek government had failed to meet various obligations, including the cancellation of VAT requirements, which, according to the investor, contributed to the bankruptcy of several enterprises.

The Ministry of Justice emphasized that the legal proceedings lasted nearly seven years.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also...

On Saturday, April 26, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held a telephone conversation.

The two leaders discussed strengthening cooperation between their countries, with a particular focus on economic collaboration. Since the beginning of this year, trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan has increased by 20%.

Both sides are currently working on joint projects across various sectors, including automotive manufacturing and agriculture.

Tashkent and Baku are also planning to hold an intergovernmental commission meeting and other joint events later this year.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have become strategic partners in...

China is ready to strengthen pragmatic cooperation with Central Asian countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a meeting with his Uzbek counterpart, Bakhtiyor Saidov, in Almaty.

According to Wang, Beijing is particularly interested in expanding collaboration in the fields of digital trade and artificial intelligence (AI).

Wang Yi emphasised that China is committed to defending multilateralism alongside countries that share the same vision. He added that Beijing advocates cooperation based on established rules rather than a “law of the jungle” approach.

During the meeting, Bakhtiyor Saidov and Wang Yi also discussed ways to enhance bilateral ties between...

Uzbekistan’s private airline Qanot Sharq will begin direct flights from Tashkent to Busan, South Korea, starting June 3, the carrier’s press service announced.

According to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, flights between the two cities will operate twice a week — on Wednesdays and Sundays — using Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

In addition, Yonhap reported that starting this summer, Eastar Jet will launch direct flights from Busan to Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Flights between South Korea and Central Asian countries are growing increasingly popular, especially among students and business travellers, Yonhap noted.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that AirAsia X plans...