News

The international sustainability initiative Better Cotton has identified promising prospects for Uzbekistan’s cotton sector as reforms reshape the once-controversial industry.

For years, Uzbekistan’s cotton was excluded from many Western markets due to widespread state-imposed forced and child labour. However, following sweeping structural changes and the end of state quotas, the country is gradually rebuilding its reputation as a responsible cotton producer. According to the World Bank, state involvement in cotton production has significantly decreased, bringing forced labour practices to near elimination.

Private clusters take over production

Today, cotton in Uzbekistan is cultivated by privately-owned clusters that operate integrated...

A meeting was held with representatives of the international investment group ROX Group (Vietnam), which is implementing several major infrastructure projects in Kyrgyzstan. The news was reported by the presidential envoy’s office in Issyk-Kul Region.

The main topic of discussion was the construction of a 1.9 GW solar power plant in the village of Toru-Aygyr, a project being carried out by ROX Group. Completion is scheduled for 2027, and once operational, the facility is expected to create over 500 jobs.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the progress of the project, future cooperation plans and the need for swift...

Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister, Bakhtiyor Saidov, met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Tianjin this week. According to a joint statement, the two officials discussed strategies to strengthen mutually beneficial economic ties, enhance regional connectivity, foster stability and advance shared objectives through multilateral cooperation.

Wang Yi — also a member of the Political Bureau of China’s Communist Party — reaffirmed China’s commitment to deepening its relations with Uzbekistan. He highlighted plans to implement agreements reached by Presidents Xi Jinping and Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and voiced Beijing’s intention to elevate bilateral ties to higher quality and higher level.

A pivotal topic of discussion was the...

As of July 1, 2025, Uzbekistan has registered 115,100 product names in its national catalogue of digitally labelled goods, according to the State Tax Committee.

Digital Product Labelling in Uzbekistan

Since its phased rollout in 2021, the digital labelling system has covered a growing number of goods. The goal is to improve product traceability, combat counterfeits, and strengthen tax compliance.

Currently, 1,000 domestic producers and 3,400 importers are active participants. Tashkent city, along with Tashkent and Samarkand regions, lead in the number of registered producers.

Which Industries Are Covered

By July, the system included:

Other...

As Southeast Asian economies continue to grow, Japan is shifting its focus to South and Central Asia in a bid to secure foreign workers for its labour-strapped industries, Nikkei Asia reports. With countries like Vietnam and China supplying fewer workers due to rising domestic opportunities, Japan now sees potential in nations such as India, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan.

To facilitate this, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is preparing to commission a private-sector body to engage directly with recruitment agencies in South and Central Asia. The aim is to assess Japan’s labour requirements and identify barriers to worker...

China Southern began operating direct flights from Guangzhou to Tashkent on June 30, 2025. The carrier also offers services from Beijing and Urumqi to both Tashkent and Samarkand.

China Eastern followed suit by launching Xi’an to Tashkent flights on July 16, operating three times a week.

Visa-Free Travel Boosts Demand

The expansion of air routes follows the mutual visa-free agreement introduced on June 1, 2025. Citizens of both countries can now visit each other for up to 30 days without a visa, significantly boosting tourism and business travel.

Airlines have responded quickly to the growing demand, adapting their schedules and capacity to accommodate rising passenger flows.

Trade Between China and Uzbekistan Hits...

The total trading volume on the Tashkent Republican Stock Exchange (RSE) reached UZS 12 trillion in the first half of 2025. This marks a 17-fold increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to the Exchange’s official statement.

Despite the sharp rise in turnover, the number of transactions dropped by 21.7% year-on-year, totalling 214,900 deals. Of these, 181,900 were executed with securities listed on the Exchange, while the rest took place on the organised over-the-counter (OTC) market.

Strong Growth in the Equities Market

Equity trading volume surged 14 times, reaching UZS 5.3 trillion. The total market capitalisation rose by 0.15% to UZS 242.8 trillion. As of the end of...

Banks have updated the rates for buying and selling currencies on July 17. This article contains information about the most favorable rates.

Here are Central Bank Reference Rates to exchange USD, EUR, GBP, CHF, JPY, or KZT into soums:

Several banks offer better buy rates to exchange USD, EUR, GBP, CHF, JPY, or KZT into soums:

Financial institutions may change the value of currencies throughout the day...

FC Barcelona is reportedly close to signing a four-year sponsorship deal with the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to Mundo Deportivo. The contract is valued at €44 million — or €11 mln annually.

Under the agreement, the men’s team’s training kits will feature the slogan «RDC, cœur de l’Afrique» («DRC — Heart of Africa») on the back.

The sponsorship income will help Barcelona comply with La Liga’s financial fair play regulations.

Despite this high-profile deal, the DRC remains one of the poorest nations in the world. According to the World Bank, the country’s nominal...

The Israeli military has carried out an airstrike targeting the General Staff headquarters of the Syrian army in the capital city of Damascus, according to reports by Tasnim and Al Jazeera.

Footage of the strike was captured live during a Syrian state TV broadcast, media sources say. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had earlier confirmed an airstrike on the entrance to the military headquarters building.

Reports also indicate that a nearby government district, close to the presidential palace, was hit. According to Syria’s Ministry of Health, at least 13 people were injured in the attack.

The Football Association of Malaysia has announced that the national team will not participate in the CAFA Nations Cup 2025, scheduled to take place in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The decision was made due to logistical challenges and player availability issues.

Initially, Malaysia had planned to join the tournament. However, the event dates, August 29 to September 8 — fall outside FIFA’s official calendar, which means international clubs are not obligated to release their players.

«We have players competing in Spain, Argentina, Colombia, and Japan. Flying them to Tajikistan on time and expecting peak performance isn’t realistic,» said head coach...

Uzbek and Russian military drone operators have conducted joint exercises targeting armored vehicles as part of the “Khamkorlik-2025” drills currently taking place at the Termez training ground, according to a report by TASS.

During the maneuvers, both sides deployed various types of drones, including FPV (first-person view) drones. The Russian side also showcased a robotic system for cargo delivery and casualty evacuation.

Earlier this year, Uzbekistan launched a dedicated drone training complex for border troops, enabling military personnel to practice a wide range of drone applications.

In 2023, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was presented with the country’s arsenal of unmanned...

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a decree aimed at improving the efficiency of public administration in Uzbekistan. Among other provisions, the document outlines the official powers of the Head of the Presidential Administration (PA).

In her new role, Saida Mirziyoyeva will have the authority to hire and dismiss deputy presidential advisers, deputy heads of PA departments, and other key management personnel.

She will also be responsible for approving staff schedules, recruiting domestic and international experts for project-based work, and setting their compensation.

Presidential advisers and department heads will be required to submit a list of development projects to the...

Uzbekistan is aiming to raise $300 mln through the sale of mobile operator Mobiuz, with hopes of attracting investors from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan and Europe, according to Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the deal.

Mobiuz currently ranks fourth in the country’s telecom market. According to research firm BMI, the company held a 20.9% market share by the end of 2024, in a national subscriber base of 35.6 mln. Last year, Mobiuz reported $164 million in revenue and $41 million in EBITDA.

The 100% stake sale is part of a broad privatisation campaign launched by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev...

Nintendo has officially announced the lead actors for its upcoming film adaptation of The Legend of Zelda, revealing the cast on its social media channels.

Bo Bragason, a 21-year-old British actress known for her role in Disney’s Nell the Rogue, will play Princess Zelda. The role of Link will be portrayed by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, a 16-year-old British actor who voiced Pinocchio in Robert Zemeckis’s 2022 adaptation.

The film will be directed by Wes Ball, known for The Maze Runner trilogy and the upcoming Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

The premiere is set for May 7, 2027...

More than 20 world leaders and heads of 10 international organisations will take part in the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and related events, which will be held in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin. The announcement was made on July 15 by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

During a joint press conference with SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev, Wang confirmed that the summit will take place from August 31 to September 1.

On the same day, Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, chaired a meeting...

Uzbekistan’s banking environment has significantly improved, driven by regulatory reforms, improved governance and sustained efforts to reduce structural risks, according to Fitch Ratings. The agency has revised its outlook on the banking sector’s operating environment (OE) score to ‘positive’, citing rising resilience and robust economic growth, projected at 6.3% in 2025–2026.

As a result, Fitch also changed the outlooks of Kapitalbank and Ipak Yuli Bank to Positive, noting they are best positioned to benefit from the improving conditions. While widespread rating upgrades are unlikely without stronger financial metrics, select banks could see improved viability ratings if reforms continue.

Since...

HBO’s television adaptation of Harry Potter has officially entered production at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the United Kingdom, Variety reports. The launch comes nearly 14 years after the cinematic conclusion of the original series with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

A first look at the upcoming series includes Dominic McLaughlin in costume as Harry Potter, complete with the iconic round glasses and Hogwarts school uniform. He is joined by Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. The three young actors were selected from a pool of over 30,000 applicants who auditioned...

What was supposed to be an ordinary friendly between Moscow clubs Lokomotiv and Dynamo on July 12 turned into a viral hit in the English-speaking internet, after five goals were scored in added time.

What Happened

The match ended in a shocking 1–5 defeat for Lokomotiv. The real drama began after the 90th minute, as Dynamo managed to score all five of its goals in 36 minutes of added time — an unusually long stoppage period. Lokomotiv had been leading 1–0 from the 71st minute before the collapse.

Online Reaction

The bizarre ending sparked global attention. A post...

The Institute for Macroeconomic and Regional Studies (IMRS) has published its index calculations for the diversification of Uzbekistan’s fresh fruit and vegetable export geography for the period 2019–2024.

The results indicate a «moderate level of diversification» throughout the observed years. While the range of export destinations has expanded somewhat, the country’s exports remain concentrated in a limited number of markets.

The index is based on the inverse of the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, a commonly used measure of market concentration. It assesses how evenly exports are distributed across trading partners.

Values above 0.85 reflect high diversification, while values below 0.75 indicate...

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Mirzaev Scientific Research Institute of Horticulture, Viticulture and Winemaking and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) under the project Managing Climate Risks in Central Asia.

This cooperation forms part of a regional project funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The project began in 2022 and will continue until 2028.

Memorandum’s main objective is to reduce climate and environmental risks across Central Asia, while strengthening scientific and practical capacity in the management of transboundary water resources.

The parties agreed to modernise agriculture in the...

Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia reported that in early July, five Iranian nationals and two citizens of Uzbekistan were detained in a minivan in Mooers Forks, New York, a town near the US–Canada border.

Following inspection, it was confirmed that all seven individuals were undocumented migrants who had entered the United States through Mexico and Canada. Garcia stated that all of them will face deportation.

Last financial year, over 570 Uzbek nationals were deported from the United States which is 6.5 times more than in 2023. In comparison, only 21 Uzbek citizens were deported in 2022.

In April this...

Official medals for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games were revealed on July 15, during a ceremony in Venice, the capital of Veneto and one of the host regions. Presentation was led by Olympian and Head of the Ambassador Programme, Valentina Marchei.

The medals were transported by boat along Venice’s Canal Grande by Federica Pellegrini, Italy’s most decorated swimmer, and Francesca Porcellato, a 15-time Paralympic medallist. Their journey ended at the historic Palazzo Balbi, where the medals were officially presented.

The medals of the Games were developed by the Milano Cortina...

Uzbekistan’s automotive market has maintained overall stability in the first half of 2025, according to a new report from the Center for Economic Research and Reforms (CERR). Although the market faced a seasonal decline in consumer demand, a moderate recovery was recorded in June, particularly in the primary car segment.

Passenger vehicle sales rose by more than 3% in June compared to May, reaching 80,000 units. However, total sales for the first six months of the year stood at approximately 446,000 units, marking a 23% drop from the same period in 2024. The decline is mainly due to reduced...