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The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Uzbekistan launched UNDP Talks, a platform designed to showcase real-life stories of individuals who have transformed their lives through innovative poverty reduction initiatives. Bringing together government officials, development partners, private sector representatives, and media, the event served as a testament to resilience and sustainable impact.

In line with these efforts, Uzbekistan’s poverty rate has dropped from 17% in 2022 to 8.9% today, aligning with the United Nations’ Goal 1: ending poverty in all its forms everywhere.

Sabine Mahl, UN Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan, emphasized the transformative power of these initiatives...

The venture capital market in Central Asia expanded by 7% in 2024, reaching $95 mln, according to a report by RISE Research in collaboration with EA Group, MA7 Ventures, BGlobal Ventures, KPMG, and dealroom.co.

Kazakhstan remains the dominant player, accounting for 74% of total venture investments in the region. In 2024, Kazakh startups attracted $71 mln, with 53% of the funding coming from foreign investors. The average deal size increased, with 40% of transactions falling within the $200,000–$500,000 range.

Uzbekistan’s venture market recorded significant growth, reaching $17.5 mln—2.7 times higher than in 2023—across 38 deals. The average deal size...

France and Uzbekistan continue to expand their strategic partnership, particularly in education. During President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s official visit to Paris from March 11 to 13, 2025, discussions with President Emmanuel Macron led to the signing of a Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership and agreements in various sectors, including education. A key focus was on training highly qualified professionals to meet the demands of modern industry and technology.

SIUT Rector, Professor Yusuf Abdullaev, participated in negotiations in Nice with the Secretary-General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), Yann Liberti. The discussions resulted in an agreement to establish a French...

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission successfully ended on March 18, with astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov returning safely to Earth after months on the ISS. The Dragon spacecraft splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico at 5:57 p.m. EDT, as reported by NASA News.

Recovery teams quickly assisted, and the crew will reunite with families at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. NASA Acting Administrator Janet Petro expressed excitement over their return following a mission that advanced scientific research and technology demonstrations.

The mission timeline was shifted a month ahead...

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree to establish a new agency that will oversee the use of nuclear energy, uranium mining, and nuclear safety. The agency’s formation is part of the country’s broader strategy to regulate and manage its nuclear energy sector.

The newly created agency will be led by Almasadam Satkaliyev, who until recently served as the Minister of Energy. His appointment is in line with the government’s aim to strengthen oversight and ensure the safe and effective management of nuclear energy in Kazakhstan.

Following a referendum where citizens expressed support for the construction of a...

Temu, the Chinese e-commerce platform, has officially registered as a legal entity in Uzbekistan. However, the possible blockage of the platform on March 20 remains in effect. According to the National Agency for Prospective Projects (NAPP), Temu must fulfill additional regulatory requirements, including paying overdue taxes and integrating its systems with the tax authorities to issue fiscal receipts.

Compliance Obligations and Pending Negotiations

Kamronbek Muhammadiev, head of NAPP’s e-commerce department, clarified that Temu’s registration as a legal entity does not absolve the company from complying with other legal obligations.

«The...

Central Asia’s aircraft maintenance industry is currently operating at a significant deficit, with local providers only covering 40% of the region’s maintenance requirements. This gap is highlighted by Dr. Axel Schauenburg of Lufthansa Consulting at the MRO Central Asia 2024 event in Uzbekistan’s Tashkent. According to Schauenburg, the remaining 60% of the demand, which amounts to $73 mln annually, is outsourced to foreign providers.

Growing Market with Increasing Fleet Sizes

Despite the current reliance on foreign providers, the local aircraft maintenance market is on a growth trajectory. Lufthansa Consulting reports that the market is expanding at a steady...

As of March 18, the transfer value of Abdukodir Husanov, a player for the Uzbekistan national team and Manchester City, is €35 mln. This figure is nearly three times higher than it was in December 2024, according to data from Transfermarkt.

Husanov’s value saw an increase despite an incident where he accidentally scored an own goal during a match against Brighton. This has led some Manchester City fans to call for his sale.

At the beginning of his football career, Transfermarkt valued Husanov at just €115,000.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reported that Husanov received a helicopter worth...

Abdukodir Khusanov, the Manchester City defender and member of the Uzbekistan National Team, was recently gifted a Mercedes Benz G-Class by Ulugbek Asanbayev, a former player of the Kazakh club Aktobe. This heartwarming gesture was highlighted in a post on the club’s official Instagram account.

«Asanbayev presented Abdukodir Khusanov with a new Mercedes Benz G-Class,» the message stated.

Following his football career, Ulugbek Asanbayev transitioned into a role as a sports director for Shakhtar and Aktobe, and he has also coached Ordobas. In March, he took on the position of adviser at...

During the talks, the presidents exchanged warm congratulations on the upcoming celebration and wished peace and prosperity to the people of their respective nations.

Key Discussion Highlights:

The Tashkent regional administration has announced plans to construct 29 small and micro hydropower plants (HPPs) across the region, allocating 6.7 hectares of land for the initiative.

According to the regional government, the total installed capacity of the new facilities will exceed 2.5 megawatts (MW). The projects will be implemented across seven districts and three regional-level cities.

Breakdown of planned construction:

Small and micro HPPs will...

The payment operator Paynet has issued shares totalling 547.62 bn soums, according to information published on the Unified Corporate Information Portal.

The National Agency for Prospective Projects of Uzbekistan registered the share issuance on March 14. Each share is valued at 500 soums, and the total issuance involves more than one billion shares.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports tha in January Paynet announced plans to acquire JSC “National Interbank Processing Center (Humo). The deal was valued at $65 mln.

As of March 18, the price of a 5-gram gold bar in Uzbekistan has reached 6.427 mln soums, according to data from the Central Bank of Uzbekistan. The value of the precious metal in the country has been rising for the second consecutive day.

The price of a 10-gram gold bar has increased to 12.8 mln soums, while a 20-gram bar now costs 25.7 mln soums.

Bars weighing 50 and 100 grams have reached 64.2 mln soums and 128.5 mln soums, respectively.

Analysts at UBS investment bank forecast that the price of gold will rise to $3,200 per ounce...

From March 7 to March 14, most highly liquid stocks listed on the Toshkent Republican Stock Exchange (RFSE) displayed varied performance.

The UCI stock index increased by 0.083%. Companies that experienced the highest growth during this period included Dori Darmon (+17.05%), Uzbektelecom (+9.25%), and Uzbekinvest (+4.64%).

Conversely, several companies ended the week with negative results. Notable declines were recorded by the Uzbek Republican Commodity Exchange (UzRTSB) (-11.13%), Ipoteka Bank (-3.48%), Alokabank (-5.13%), and UzAuto Motors (-4.17%).

In terms of transaction volume, the leading three companies were Universal Bank (394 mln soums), UzRTSB (224 mln soums), and Chilonzor Buyum Savdo...

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with a US Congressional delegation led by Representative Carol Miller on March 17 to discuss further development of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Expansion of Bilateral Cooperation

During the meeting, Representative Miller conveyed greetings from the US President, congressional leadership, and members of the Uzbekistan Caucus. Both sides acknowledged the strong progress in political engagement and intergovernmental exchanges. Trade turnover and investment volumes have increased significantly in recent years, with business cooperation continuing to grow.

Uzbekistan hosts Webster University and the American University of Technology in Tashkent, contributing to educational...

The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) has released the 2025 Global Terrorism Index (GTI), assessing the impact of terrorism worldwide. The report includes rankings for Central Asian countries based on recorded incidents and overall security conditions.

Central Asia’s Rankings

The latest GTI places three Central Asian nations—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan—at 100th place, each with a score of 0, indicating no recorded terrorist impact.

Uzbekistan ranks in the 90s with a score of 0.233, while Tajikistan holds the 70th position with a score of 0.999. According to the index, countries with a score of zero are classified as...

On March 14, the President of Uzbekistan signed the decree, introducing significant changes to export procedures. The decree aims to align national regulations with World Trade Organization (WTO) standards while fostering the production of finished goods with added value.

Introduction of Export Duties

Effective from July 1, Uzbekistan will impose export customs duties on 86 types of goods. These include raw leather, semi-finished leather products, raw silk, cotton yarn, and knitted fabric goods. Previously, the export of these items was subject to association fees, which have now been abolished.

The decree also affects the export of meat...

The cost of gold in Uzbekistan. Photo: Unsplash17, the price of a five-gram gold bar exceeded 6.42 mln soums for the first time. This data was published by the Central Bank of Uzbekistan.

Since the beginning of this year, the price of a five-gram bar has increased by 13.5%.

The prices of ten-gram and twenty-gram gold bars have also risen, reaching 12.8 mln soums and 25.7 mln soums, respectively. The price of a fifty-gram bar has increased to 64.2 mln soums, while a one-hundred-gram bar is now priced at 128.5 mln soums.

Investment bank Macquarie forecasts that the...

As of mid-March this year, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has invested $14.2 bn in Uzbekistan, according to data from the financial institution.

The ADB supports 32 projects focused on trade, social development, finance and energy.

These investments have contributed to the development of road infrastructure, the improvement of social services, and the promotion of gender equality in the Uzbek economy.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that the ADB will allocate $125 mln to modernize Uzbekistan’s water resource management.

Some fans of Manchester City have criticised Uzbekistani player Abdukodir Khusanov and suggested selling him after he scored an own goal in the match against Brighton, according to Football Insider.

Despite the criticism, there were also fans who supported Khusanov. English head coach Josep “Pep” Guardiola praised him, stating that Khusanov performed well overall.

«Jérémy was incredibly dangerous. Omar played very well, scoring a goal and making an effective pass. Ruben and Khusa (Abdukodir Khusanov) were great. In general, everything was good. We started the second half with a score of 2:1 and created great chances...

Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Ilzat Kasimov commented on reports alleging that Chinese companies are seizing land in Uzbekistan. This statement was published on the department’s Facebook page.

Over the past three years, Chinese investments in Uzbekistan have primarily targeted the industry sector (62%), followed by energy (11%) and agriculture (4%).

Kasimov emphasised, “Moreover, foreign investors in Uzbekistan cannot acquire land as property; they can lease it for a maximum of 25 years through an open auction.”

He also noted that Uzbeks are employed in investment projects, which not only create jobs...

Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) will resume direct flights from Baku to Samarkand starting 1 April, according to the airline’s official website.

The flights will operate on a regular basis, with one-way ticket prices starting at UZS 1.9 mln ($147).

Tickets are available for purchase on AZAL’s website, mobile app, and through authorised agents.

Earlier, Kursiv Uzbekistan reported that in January 2023, AZAL launched a regular flight route from Baku to Urgench.

Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have agreed on a plan to more than double their bilateral trade turnover, aiming to reach $10 bn by 2030. The initiative was formalised through a newly signed cooperation programme.

On March 15, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade, Laziz Kudratov, met with Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade and Integration, Arman Shakkaliyev, to discuss trade and economic cooperation.

The programme sets a target of increasing trade turnover to $10 bn within the next five years. In 2024, trade between the two countries amounted to nearly $4.3 bn.

To facilitate this growth, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan plan to...

The United States launched extensive air and naval strikes on targets in Yemen controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi militia, aiming to restore security to international shipping routes in the Red Sea. President Donald Trump announced the operation, marking the most significant military action of his second term.

Targeting Militant Infrastructure

The strikes targeted radar systems, air defenses, and missile and drone facilities, which had been used by the Houthis to disrupt maritime trade. U.S. officials confirmed that at least one senior Houthi commander was among those targeted. The Biden administration had previously conducted similar operations but was unable...