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The United States recently sent 119 migrants of various nationalities to Panama as part of an agreement between the two countries. This was announced by Panama’s President, Jose Raul Mulino.

The first flight with the deportees arrived on Wednesday. Among the passengers were individuals from Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. Two additional flights are expected soon, and 360 migrants are planned for transfer to Panama.

Before being sent back to their home countries, the migrants will stay in a shelter near the Darien Jungle, which is a well-known route for illegal migration to...

Uzbekistan starts developing a feasibility study for a new high-speed passenger railway connecting Tashkent and Samarkand.

On February 14, representatives from the Transport Ministry, Uzbekistan Temir Yollari, the South Korean Embassy, and Korea Eximbank met. During this meeting, Korean specialists presented project proposals and signed documents necessary to advance to the next stage of the feasibility study.

A consortium of South Korean companies, including Saman Engineering, Dong Myeong Engineering Consultants & Architecture Co., Ltd, Korea Railroad Corporation, and Korea National Railway, has been tasked with developing the feasibility study. A grant from Korea Eximbank provides funding for this project.

Russia and Uzbekistan plan to increase bilateral trade to $30 bn by 2030, as reported by Konstantin Zlygostev, Russia’s trade representative in Uzbekistan.

In 2024, the trade volume between the two countries exceeded $10 bn, marking a twofold increase over the past six years.

Zlygostev highlighted that there is significant potential for trade growth in the energy, industrial, and agricultural sectors.

Currently, more than 70 Russian regions have established economic ties with Uzbekistan’s provinces, the trade representative added.

Uzbek citizens who have earned degrees from prestigious universities worldwide will be eligible for subsidised housing loans, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced during a dialogue with the youth.

Interest-free loans will be granted to young scientists under the age of 35 for a period of ten years, with a maximum loan amount of UZS 800 mln.

Additionally, the president announced a fivefold increase in prizes for winners of prestigious international olympiads. A new state scholarship, “Supreme Commander-in-Chief,” will be introduced for outstanding cadets at military academies.

Creators of popular science shows can apply for grants of up to UZS...

In 2025, Uzbekistan will launch a large-scale youth employment programme, with UZS 126 trln allocated for its implementation. This was announced by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during a meeting with the country’s young residents.

The programme aims to train young people in various professions and foreign languages, as well as provide them with well-paid job opportunities.

According to the president, the most challenging employment situation for youth is currently observed in the Yunusabad, Asakinsky, Chirakchin, and Pastdargom districts, as well as in Almalyk and Bukhara.

Plans include launching 378,000 projects in local communities (mahallas). New loans from community banks are...

The dollar exchange rate at the currency exchange of Uzbekistan reached 12,993.15 soums on 14 February. The fall during the day was 10.8 sums, according to the trading floor data.

The Central Bank of Uzbekistan set the US currency rate at the same level.

Banks buy currency for 12,930-12,980 soums and sell it for 13,005-13,065 soums.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports how much the dollar exchange rate may grow in 2025.

The price of a five-gram gold bar has risen to over 6.27 mln soums, according to data from the Central Bank of Uzbekistan.

This increase follows a previous record set on Tuesday, February 11, when a similar bar was priced at 6.23 mln soums. As of February 14, the price for ten-gram ingots reached 12.55 mln soums, while twenty-gram ingots hit 25.1 mln soums. The prices for 50-gram and 100-gram bars have also risen, reaching 62.74 mln and 125.49 mln soums, respectively.

Over the past year, since February 2024, the country’s gold price has surged by...

Creative industry parks will soon be established across the regions of Uzbekistan, announced President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during a dialogue with the youth.

The government will provide resources and infrastructure to support these creative parks. Residents will benefit from tax incentives, with participants paying income and social taxes at a reduced rate of 50% until 2030. Additionally, all residents will be subject to turnover tax, regardless of the volume of goods sold.

The president highlighted that 98% of those working in Uzbekistan’s creative economy are young people. To support them, business schools will be set up, offering courses on modern...

On Friday, February 14, the cost of oil rose after three consecutive weeks of decline, as reported by Reuters.

Brent crude prices increased by 19 cents, reaching $75.25 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose by 12 cents to $71.41.

Analysts attribute this price rise to an increase in demand for oil. The situation has been influenced by former U.S. President Donald Trump‘s plans to raise trade duties.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Iran had boosted its oil exports to Uzbekistan by 18%.

The parties signed the treaty on alliance in Dushanbe in mid-April last year. The Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis adopted the document in late November of the same year. The Senate approved it in January this year.

Uzbekistan and Tajikistan established diplomatic relations on 22 October 1992.

In 2024, trade turnover between the two states totalled $702.7 mln, compared to $760.9 mln in 2023. Tajikistan is among Uzbekistan’s top 20 major trade partners.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Freedom will launch a digital bank in Tajikistan this spring.

Israeli authorities are prepared to organize a series of training sessions for specialists from Uzbekistan. This information was shared during a meeting between Munira Aminova, an advisor to the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan and Israeli Ambassador Gideon Lustig, as reported by the Dunyo news agency.

The training sessions will cover various sectors, including trade, agriculture, tourism, education, innovations and pharmaceuticals. Specialists in these areas are expected to be invited to participate in the training.

The events will be organised by the Israel Agency for International Cooperation (MASHAV).

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Israel supported Uzbekistan’s accession to the World Trade...

Representatives of the US, Ukrainian and Russian authorities will take part in the Munich Security Conference to discuss ways out of the military conflict in Ukraine, US President Donald Trump said.

‘There will be a meeting tomorrow in Munich. (…) I’m not sure exactly who will be there from which countries. But high-level officials from Russia, from Ukraine and from the United States,’ Russian news agency TASS quoted Trump as saying.

The head of state also said he plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia. At the same time, this...

On February 13, deputies approved a bill in its third reading that mandates the registration and tracking of pets.

All pets will now be registered in a unified electronic system that stores information about their breed and health status.

Pet owners can register their pets free of charge. The bill also outlines the rights and responsibilities of professionals involved in the identification, registration, and monitoring of animals, while enhancing oversight by authorized government agencies.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan has approved measures to protect the environment.

Photo: IA Dune

On 11 February, Uzbek Ambassador Temur Rakhmanov presented his credentials to Lithuanian President Gitanas Naousede, as reported reported by IA Dune.

After the official ceremony, the sides discussed cooperation, particularly trade and economic projects between Vilnius and Tashkent.

According to the Lithuanian president, by the end of 2024 Uzbekistan has become one of Lithuania’s largest trading partners.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that a new Ambassador of Belarus, Alexander Ogorodnikov, had arrived in Uzbekistan.

Streetpark Systems has been awarded the contract to develop and provide technical support for a unified parking system in the capital. According to data from the Republican Commodity Exchange’s electronic public procurement system, the contract is valued at 7.6 bn soums.

The auction for this project began in December 2024, with an initial bid of 8.22 bn soums set for the competitive auction. Alongside Streetpark Systems, another company named Intermobility also participated in the tender. This contract will last for 10 years.

On December 17, Streetpark Systems successfully won a second auction to organize paid parking on...

The Turkish Company Prefabrik & Celikyapı plans to invest $20 mln in the Yangi Namangan district, according to a report by the UzA News Agency.

A memorandum to attract investments was signed during a meeting between Zhobir Abdullayev, the head of the Yangi-Namangan district, and a representative from the Company.

The Yangi-Namangan district was established in early May 2021 through a decree from the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan.

Turkey is among the top five countries that the people of Uzbekistan believe to be the most beneficial for cooperation.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Turkey’s Konya and Uzbekistan’s Samarkand have...

According to the Statistic Agency report, Uzbekistan will import 4.2 mln mobile phones in 2024, 23.5% more than in 2023.

In monetary terms, imports last year exceeded $374 mln. 3.4 mln devices were shipped from China.

Vietnam—589.4 thousand and India—113.6 thousand were also among the three largest phone exporters to Uzbekistan.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Samsung plans to sell 40 mln of the Galaxy S25 line smartphones.

Uzbekistan and South Korea plan to increase the number of regular flights, according to the Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan.

Uzbek Transport Minister Ilkhom Makhkamov, South Korean Ambassador to Tashkent Won Do Young and Sangjin Kang, head of the Tashkent office of Korean Eximbank, discussed expanding flights and developing transportation ties.

Ambassador Won Do Young emphasized that Uzbekistan has become one of South Korea’s key partners, particularly in transportation.

The two sides also discussed a project to purchase six electric trains from the South Korean company Hyundai Rotem to meet the needs of Uzbekistan Temir Yollari.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also...

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced that at least 100 athletes with disabilities, along with their mentors, will receive training abroad each year. This decision was made during a meeting focused on the development of sports.

The president pointed out that the country lacks scientific methods and standards for training para-athletes, and its programs are primarily geared towards able-bodied athletes.

To address this issue, the Adaptive Sports Association, in collaboration with the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, will develop new training standards. Additionally, a faculty dedicated to adaptive sports will be established at the university’s branch in Tashkent.

Over the...

Five-time U.S. chess champion Hikaru Nakamura is considering ending his career after losing to Uzbek grandmaster Zhavohir Sindarov. He announced this on his personal YouTube channel.

Nakamura lost to the 19-year-old Uzbek in the quarter-finals of the Freestyle Chess Fischer tournament. The American grandmaster praised his opponent’s talent and described the defeat as shocking. He expressed uncertainty about whether he wants to continue playing chess.

It is likely that Nakamura will still participate in the Norway Chess tournament and the World Cup. However, failing in these competitions could mark the end of his chess career.

Zhavohir Sindarov...

According to Rustam Minnikhanov, the head of Tatarstan, Kazan has been designated the cultural capital of the Islamic world for the year 2026. Currently, this honour belongs to Samarkand.

The decision to award Kazan this status was made during a meeting of the culture ministers from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries in Jeddah.

This conference, organized by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, aims to promote a positive image of Islam and Islamic culture.

Uzbekistan was granted observer status in the OIC in 1995 and became a full member the following year.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also...

As of February 13, the dollar exchange rate at currency exchanges in Uzbekistan reached 13,003.95 soums. During the day, the rate increased by 14.88 soums, according to data from the trading floor.

On the same day, the Central Bank of the Republic set the U.S. dollar exchange rate at a similar level.

Banks are buying currency at rates between 12,920 and 12,970 soums and selling it for between 12,990 and 13,050 soums.

Kursiv Uzbekistan has also reported predictions regarding potential growth in the dollar rate by 2025.

Uzbekistan’s national football team secured a 1-0 victory over Yemen in their opening match of the Asian U20 Championship, as reported by the Asian Football Confederation.

The only goal of the match was scored by Muhammadali Urinboyev.

Uzbekistan’s next match will be against the Indonesian team.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Bakhodir Kurbanov may be appointed as the head of the Football Association of Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan is set to launch a nationwide initiative called Healthy People —Healthy Nation, as President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced during a meeting focused on sports development.

This movement aims to promote physical fitness and proper nutrition throughout the country. The President has instructed officials to disseminate information about healthy lifestyles to every household. Social videos highlighting the benefits of sports and a balanced diet will be broadcasted on central television channels.

President Mirziyoyev pointed out that 44% of Uzbeks lead sedentary lifestyles, and 36% do not adhere to dietary guidelines. The republic’s consumption of cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables has...