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An illegal religious organisation has been suppressed in Tashkent. The Uzbek State Security Service (SGB) reported that the deputy head of the Customs Committee, along with several colleagues and a university student from the capital, are suspected of establishing this organisation.

The group was primarily composed of individuals from Namangan, with suspects ranging in age from 24 to 49. Law enforcement authorities detained 17 people involved in the organisation. Among those detained were the deputy director of a technopark, the deputy head of a private driving school, and traders from the Sergeli car market, among others.

The participants were...

Samarkand and Konya in Turkey have officially become twin cities, according to a report from the public movement Yuksalish.

During a visit to Konya, representatives of the Uzbek delegation signed a cooperation protocol.

Konya has a rich history, with its first mention dating back to 7500 B.C. Today, it is recognised as a center for industry and agriculture. Additionally, near Konya, one of Turkey’s largest solar power plants is located.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Jizzakh and Guba in Azerbaijan have become twin cities.

In 2024, large enterprises in Uzbekistan produced over 1,700 tonnes of butter, marking a 58% increase compared to 2023, according to data from the Statistic Agency of the Republic.

The production volume was 389.4 tonnes in 2022. This means that butter output has increased by 4.4 times in just two years.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Uzbekistan’s farmers plan to produce 13 mln tonnes of milk in 2025.

Grandmaster Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova, who became a champion at the age of 17, will once again represent the Uzbekistan national team. On February 12, a meeting with journalists and bloggers was held at the International Chess Academy.

Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova is an Uzbek chess player born on July 16, 1999. She was awarded the title of Women’s Grandmaster in 2016 and International Master in 2024. In 2009, she became the absolute champion of Asia in her age category, winning in both Rapid and Blitz formats. In 2015, she repeated this achievement among girls under 20.

In 2020, Gulrukhbegim decided to...

The International Multifunctional Transport and Logistics Hub in Termez has been designated as a warehouse within the Global Supply Chain Network of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). This decision was officially announced during a ceremony.

The Termez center was established in 2022 at the initiative of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, aiming to organize humanitarian supplies for Afghanistan and other countries. It is UNHCR’s eighth warehouse, joining logistics centers located in Jordan, the UAE, Kenya, Ghana, Cameroon, Denmark and Panama. This network distributes over $500 mln worth of humanitarian supplies each year.

UN officials...

Dmitry Chigirev and Ekaterina Gainish, representatives of Uzbekistan’s figure skating team, won a gold medal at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, as reported by the press service of the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan.

This marks the first time in 26 years that our country’s athletes have won a gold medal at the Asian Winter Games.

Chigirev and Gainish achieved a total score of 176.43 points, the highest of the competition.

The Asian Winter Games 2025 are taking place in Harbin from February 7 to February 14.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Humo will face Kazakhstan’s Gornyak...

Uzbek athletes have once again secured first place in the team classification at the Asian Para-cycling Championships, as reported by Uzbek Paralympic Committee.

The competition, which took place in Thailand, featured representatives from 15 countries. Uzbek athletes excelled, winning 26 medals: 12 gold, nine silver and five bronze.

Last year, Uzbek para-cyclists also achieved first place at the Asian Championships, garnering 19 medals.

Uzbeks won four medals at the Asian Championships for adults and youth in road cycling.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that plans are underway to build a sports center for people with disabilities in the...

In 2022 and 2023, UzAuto Motors became the leader in the production of passenger cars in Central Asia and the CIS, stated former company head Bo Andersson in an interview with Kommersant.

Among other achievements, he highlighted a 160% increase in revenue and the company’s entry into the stock market.

Andersson added that Uzbekistan has become the second most significant market for the Chevrolet car brand. Our country has surpassed markets such as Brazil, Mexico, and China.

He also advised Russian car manufacturers to adopt Uzbekistan’s approach to supplying car parts. Andersson noted that Uzbekistan’s automotive industry works with many...

On February 12, a military court in Uzbekistan delivered a verdict for ten individuals accused in the criminal case related to the attempted murder of former Presidential Administration employee Komil Allamjonov, according to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Shukhrat Rasulov was sentenced to 23 years in prison, while Javlan Yunusov received 18 years and six months.

Shokhrukh Akhmedov was sentenced to 23 years, Ismail Jahongirov to 23 years, and Daniyar Tashkhodjaev to seven years of imprisonment.

The remaining five defendants received varying prison sentences.

Uzbekistan and Mongolia are receiving shipments of medicines to combat childhood cancer, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The medications are being delivered via a global platform with the support of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (USA). Ecuador, Nepal, and other countries will also receive the drugs.

These countries will receive the medicines on an ongoing and free basis. The initiative plans to include six more countries in the future.

According to WHO’s plan, 5,000 children will receive cancer treatment this year. In the future, the initiative aims to extend to 50 countries, with an expected...

Uzbekistan will allow the creation of microfinance banks, with amendments to the legislation, the Ministry of Justice reports.

The Central Bank of Uzbekistan will issue licences for the operation of these organisations. The law also outlines the procedure for transforming a microfinance organisation (MFO) into a microfinance bank.

Furthermore, the new type of bank will be allowed to obtain commercial bank status and vice versa. This way, the new financial institution will act as a link between the MFO status and that of a bank.

The amendments will enable MFOs to attract public funds through deposits.

In 2024, the Chevrolet Cobalt retained its dominant position in the car market of Uzbekistan. Sales of this model grew by 24.7% over the year, according to analysts at Focus2Move.

Daewoo Damas secured second place among the most popular models, with a sales increase of 58.8%.

The Chevrolet brand captured 58.5% of the Uzbek car market, increasing sales by 1.2% over the year. Daewoo remained in second place with 21.9% of the market and a year-on-year growth of 39.4%. Kia secured third place.

The fourth most popular car brand in the country was the Chinese company BYD. Its sales...

In an era of constant innovation, what is the place of tradition? On February 4, Dr. Khaled Azzam, a renowned architect and Director of the King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts, tackled this question in his lecture at the Republican Children’s Library in Tashkent. Kursiv Uzbekistan had the opportunity to discuss his views on how traditional arts can remain relevant today.

Tradition is a living force, not a historical relic

Dr. Azzam’s approach to tradition challenges the common perception of cultural preservation as a static process. He argues that tradition is not a fixed entity but one that...

An increase in recycling fees for electric cars is expected to boost the development of the battery recycling and waste management industry, according to Inomjon Abdurakhmonov, head of the Foreign Trade Department at the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade (MIIT), who shared his thoughts on Facebook.

He highlighted that electric car batteries contain heavy metals that pose risks to human health. By 2035, Uzbekistan will accumulate over 10,000 tons of used batteries from electric cars.

The utilisation fee is one measure aimed at regulating foreign trade. It can protect the environment and the health of Uzbeks and contribute...

In 2024, Uzbekistan exported over 44,300 tons of apples, generating a total revenue of $14.5 mln, according to data from the Statistic Agency.

Last year, Kazakhstan was the primary buyer, importing more than 34,300 tons of apples from Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan supplied apples to Russia and Kyrgyzstan, with shipments exceeding 5,800 tons and 3,700 tons, respectively. The top five buyers also included Tajikistan, which imported 128 tons, and Mongolia, which imported 118 tons.

Overall, Uzbekistan exported agro-products worth $1.5 bn in 2024, reflecting an annual growth rate of 31.2%. The majority of these exports consisted of fruits and vegetables, primarily sent...

U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on all imports of steel and aluminum to promote domestic production, as reported by the BBC.

After signing the document imposing the duties, the President stated that the increase in tariffs would not raise the prices of steel and aluminium in the United States. “In the end, it will be cheaper,” he said.

Trump added that he is open to retaliatory measures from other countries that supply aluminium and steel to the U.S. Currently, the U.S. primarily imports steel from Mexican and Canadian companies and Canada is the main supplier of...

According to a report from Transparency International, Uzbekistan ranked 121st out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index by the end of 2024, which is consistent with the country’s performance in 2023.

Last year, Uzbekistan scored 32 points out of a possible 100, one point lower than its score in 2023. Togo and Sri Lanka also received the same number of points.

Among Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan earned the highest score, coming in at 88th place. In contrast, Turkmenistan had the lowest ranking in the region, at 165th.

Denmark recorded the least corruption, retaining the top spot...

On February 11, the dollar exchange rate rose by 8.06 soums, reaching 12,979.99 soums at currency exchanges. The Central Bank of Uzbekistan established the dollar’s value similarly.

The dollar is purchased for 12,910 to 12,950 soums at banks’ exchange offices and sold for 12,975 to 13,035 soums.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports on S&P’s forecasts regarding the dollar exchange rate in Uzbekistan.

South Korean company New&New plans to establish a production and testing center for cosmetics in the Ferghana region, according to a report from the regional khokimiyat.

Khokim Khairullo Bozarov and company founder Lee Ho-Young discussed the potential launch of this enterprise in the region.

New&New currently collaborates with Uzbekistan’s Mehrigiyo, a domestic firm that produces products from medicinal plants and is located in Uchkupriki District, Fergana Region.

The company specialises in creating cosmetics made from plant-based components and offers over five thousand products.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that the Italian company Gamma Meccanica will open a stone wool...

According to the company’s financial report, the Humo payment system reported a net profit of 168.2 bn soums at the end of 2024, reflecting a 47.1% year-over-year growth.

Humo’s revenue increased by 44% during this period, reaching 311.4 bn soums. The payment system’s assets grew significantly, rising by 65.4% to 434.8 bn soums, while capital climbed to 369 bn soums.

The cash in the company’s current account surged 2.5 times, increasing to 233.5 bn soums.

In January of this year, Paynet acquired the Humo payment system for $65 mln.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Humo plans to...

On February 11, the price of a five-gram gold bar for the first time exceeded 6.2 mln soums, according to data published by the regulator on their Telegram channel.

During the same day, the prices of ten-gram and twenty-gram bullion bars increased, reaching 12.4 mln soums and 24.9 mln soums, respectively. The cost of fifty-gram ingots rose to 62.3 mln soums, while one hundred-gram ingots reached 124.6 mln soums.

As a reminder, on the morning of February 11, the price of gold on the New York Stock Exchange surpassed $2,900, increasing by 1.09% throughout the day. Analysts predict...

Recent information from the Republican Stock Exchange (RSE) Toshkent reveals that Alkes Research and Kapital-Deposit were the leading brokers in Uzbekistan based on the number of transactions for January 2025.

During this month, clients of Alkes Research completed 35,800 transactions, while Kapital-Depozit recorded 30,900 transactions. This marks a 33.4% increase in the number of transactions for Alkes Research compared to December of the previous year, and Kapital-Deposit saw its transaction numbers increase nearly eightfold.

Regarding transaction volume, the top performers were Mulk-Sarmoya Brokerlik Depository and TAT-Reestr, which received its license in May last year. The monthly turnover for...

Taliban condemned the transfer of seven helicopters from Uzbekistan to the United States, which Afghan pilots had transported to Uzbekistan after the Taliban took power in 2021, according to a statement from the Afghan Ministry of Defence.

Officials from the ministry described the transfer of military equipment to the Americans as unacceptable. Taliban demanded the return of the helicopters and urged neighbouring countries to respect the rights of the Afghan people. The ministry believes that all military equipment removed from the country belongs to Afghanistan.

Over 40 military aircraft and helicopters from Afghanistan arrived in Uzbekistan in 2021 after...

According to Xinhua, citing the press office of Lianyungang City, 2,320 freight trains have travelled along the railway route linking China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, transporting 4,640 containers.

The parties exchanged goods worth approximately $100 mln. The media noted that this has contributed to the growth of economic cooperation between the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries.

The trade railway route connects Lianyungang with Tashkent. The first freight train on this route was launched in 2022. The data is current as of the end of 2024.