News

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) has helped Uzbekistan raise $1 bn in green financing, reports the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change.

With GGGI’s support, partner banks launched two green bond issuances on the London Stock Exchange. A large portion of the funds will support sustainable agriculture projects.

The Aral Sea GRIP project, launched with GGGI and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), will help eco-friendly businesses in Karakalpakstan attract and manage green investments.

Farmers have access to training and consultations on climate-smart agriculture.

Project participants are also working with banks and credit institutions in Uzbekistan...

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a new law on railway transport. The document was published on the Lex.uz portal.

The Legislative Chamber approved the law in September, and the Senate ratified it the same month.

The new law defines various types of railway services, including domestic, international, transit, and mixed transport.

The state will regulate tariffs for railway infrastructure, locomotive services, and passenger transport. However, this does not apply to high-speed train services.

The law also states that no discounts will apply to domestic freight transport. For international freight, discounts will be set based on contracts.

Additionally, the law...

The National Bank of Kazakhstan has raised its base rate by one percentage point to 15.25%. This move follows the sharp drop in the tenge and rising inflation, the regulator reported.

Inflation in Kazakhstan reached 8.5% in October, driven by higher tariffs and faster price increases for services and non-food goods. The National Bank also noted the failure to meet budget revenue targets and the volatility of inflation expectations.

The tenge’s weakening played a key role in the decision to tighten monetary policy. The official exchange rate against the US dollar fell nearly 3.7% in one week. This...

Uzbekistan Airways has started regular flights on the Tashkent-Lahore route from 29 November, according to the airline’s press service.

The flights will operate every Friday on an Airbus A320 Neo. Ticket prices begin at UZS 2 mn.

Uzbekistan and Pakistan are working on launching additional routes. The Uzbek authorities have also simplified the visa application process for Pakistani citizens.

Georgia’s government will not discuss EU membership until the end of 2028, announced Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, according to local broadcaster Rustavi2.

«We have decided not to include the issue of opening negotiations with the European Union in the agenda until 2028. Additionally, we will not accept any EU budget grants during this period,» Kobakhidze said.

He added that by 2028, the country will be “properly” prepared for EU membership from an economic standpoint.

«We will not join the European Union by begging or standing on one leg. We will enter with dignity, with a solid democratic system and...

Australia has introduced one of the strictest technology laws in the world. It will restrict children and teenagers under 16 from accessing social media platforms, according to Reuters.

The law requires companies that own platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to block minors from their services. Failure to comply could result in fines of up to AUD 49.5 mn ($32 mn).

The ban will take effect in one year, with trials for restricting children’s access to social media set to begin in January.

The law has divided Australian society. Parent associations have largely supported it, while child rights groups...

A day after Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire, both sides accused each other of breaking the deal, Reuters reports.

Israeli officials reported that suspicious individuals entered the southern conflict zone in vehicles, violating the truce. Hezbollah, in turn, claimed Israeli forces attacked people returning to their homes.

In response, Israeli airstrikes targeted a site in southern Lebanon. According to Israeli authorities, Hezbollah used the location to store medium-range missiles.

The exchanges highlight the fragility of the ceasefire, which is expected to hold for 60 days.

Uzbekistan has 5.35 mn registered social media users, representing 15.3% of the population and one-fifth of all internet users. According to a study by We Are Social in collaboration with Brand Analytics, the active social media audience—excluding Telegram—accounts for only 10% of all registered users. However, when Telegram is included, this figure rises to 65%.

In October 2024, TikTok led in the number of posts, with 2.03 mn, while Facebook ranked first for active authors, boasting 201,000. TikTok closely followed with 195,000 active authors. Among Russian platforms, Odnoklassniki held the top position, with users posting 774,000 messages, followed by VKontakte with 665,000 posts.

Instagram stands out for...

Carbon monoxide poisoning has killed 82 people in Uzbekistan since early 2024, reports Hududgazta’minot. Abdusattor Kayumov, the department head, shared the figures.

Last year, the same issue led to 88 deaths.

Carbon monoxide exposure also injured 80 citizens, with varying levels of severity. Authorities recorded 74 incidents involving natural gas usage in homes during this period.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is one of the world’s major financial institutions actively promoting gender equality in its operating countries. To achieve this, the bank has implemented various programs to support women’s businesses, develop social initiatives, and collaborate with governments to enhance women’s rights and reduce gender imbalances. In Uzbekistan, over 90% of ADB programs are directly or indirectly focused on advancing gender equality. The bank’s partnership strategy with the Government of Uzbekistan includes additional measures to support women in the country.

Kursiv talks with Kanokpan Lao-Araya, the Director of the ADB representative office in Uzbekistan, about the bank’s...

Since January 2024, Uzbekistan’s financial support for exporters has increased by 32% compared to 2023, reports the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan.

For every dollar of support, companies exported goods and services worth $7.4, up from $5.6 last year. A total of 798 export companies have benefited from support provided by the Trade Development Agency.

Direct financial support reached UZS 311 bn, down from UZS 410 bn in the same period of 2023. Additionally, financial institutions received $241 mn to support export credit operations.

Despite a decrease in support volume, recipients managed to increase exports by...

Uzbekistan has enlisted a group of seven Turkish experts to support the transformation of its healthcare system, the Ministry of Health reports.

Hasan Çağıl, a graduate of Istanbul University, leads the team. He contributed to modernising healthcare in Turkey between 2003 and 2013.

The Turkish experts are focusing on modernising primary healthcare, introducing medical insurance, and digitising the sector.

Other priorities include improving emergency and ambulance services, enhancing service quality, and ensuring hospitals have adequate medication supplies.

International Data Corporation (IDC) projects spending will reach $107 bn by 2028, tripling from the current amount of $31.8 bn.

In the first half of 2024, investments in AI hardware rose by 37% compared to the same period in 2023.  Servers accounted for 89% of total AI infrastructure spending. Analysts expect accelerated servers to dominate server-related expenditures, exceeding 60% by 2028.

The United States leads the AI infrastructure market with 50% of global spending in early 2024. China follows with 23%, while the Asia-Pacific region and EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) account for 16% and 10% respectively...

Uzbekistan will launch the Transparent Cities and Honest Districts programmes in partnership with the Anti-Corruption Agency and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UzA reports.

These programmes will create areas where transparency rules are strictly enforced, and corruption is eliminated.

Part of a broader anti-corruption initiative funded by the European Union, the programmes will first be rolled out in the Mirzo-Ulugbek district of Tashkent, Jizzakh city, and the Vabkent district in Bukhara.

If successful, the programmes will expand nationwide.

Uzbekistan’s cricket team faced the Kanpur Police Commissionerate team on November 26 at the newly opened international cricket arena in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Despite their spirited efforts, the hosts delivered a strong performance, defeating the Uzbek team by 45 points.

Uzbekistan ranks 33rd globally, leading Central Asia in cryptocurrency adoption, according to RISE Research.

Over the past two years, Uzbekistan has climbed 54 spots, achieving the fastest growth in the region. Around half a million Uzbeks now own cryptocurrency, making up 1.46% of the population.

Kazakhstan ranks 57th globally, securing second place in Central Asia. The country shows high engagement with the cryptocurrency market, with estimates from the National Bank of Kazakhstan suggesting that over 1.5 mln people, or around 8% of the population, participate in crypto trading.

Kyrgyzstan ranks 76th globally, but no specific data is available on...

From January to October 2024, Uzbekistan Airports added new routes, increasing the total number of destinations to 84. This marks a 15% rise compared to the previous year, as revealed at the Central Asia Air Cargo Summit in Tashkent.

The airports served 11.1 mln passengers during this period, a 32% increase from 2023.

Cargo and mail shipments reached 70,000 tonnes, growing by 21% year-on-year. Imports dominated cargo traffic at 86%, while exports accounted for only 14%.

Central Asian countries also face a similar imbalance in air freight. In Kazakhstan, imports make up 92% of cargo traffic. In Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan...

The Agency for Information and Mass Communications of Uzbekistan (AIMC) blocked around 30 websites for promoting bookmakers, as confirmed by the Committee for the Development of Competition and Consumer Rights Protection.

The Committee expressed its commitment to continue monitoring websites and swiftly identifying illegal gambling advertisements.

Under Uzbek law, advertising prohibited goods and services is not allowed.

Bookmakers are set to be legalised in Uzbekistan from January 1, 2025, with licences issued by the National Agency for Prospective Projects (NAPP). The government believes that legalising bookmakers will help curb the black market for gambling.

Kazakhstan plans to extend its ban on exporting petrol, diesel, and other fuels outside the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Ministry of Energy announced, according to Sputnik Kazakhstan.

The current restrictions end on December 31. The new ban will start the following day and last for six months. It will also apply to aviation kerosene, xylene, oil bitumens, and light distillates.

Fuel exported in the tanks provided by the vehicle manufacturer will be exempt from the ban.

The Ministry will also permit the export of aviation kerosene samples for laboratory testing.

The government aims to use these restrictions to...

Uzbek citizens with E-9 work visas will face fines if they leave their jobs in South Korea, the Uzbekistan Migration Agency reports.

The E-9 visa allows foreigners to work in South Korea’s agriculture, manufacturing, and construction sectors. Workers apply through centres and sign contracts with employers.

Fines of $2,000 per month will be imposed if an Uzbek citizen abandons their job without informing the agency’s representation in South Korea.

When signing the contract a relative of the migrant worker will act as a guarantor. Workers can review the contract before travelling to South Korea, which will outline the terms...

Russia does not plan to introduce a visa regime with Central Asian countries, confirmed Alexander Sternik, Director of the Third Department for CIS countries at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in an interview with RTVI.

He explained that proposals for visa requirements are simply the personal views of certain political figures and that the government has no intention of changing its migration policy.

Sternik noted that relevant authorities have been focusing more on the integration of foreign workers. He emphasised that labour migration is an important and in-demand process, and that, if managed lawfully and transparently, it can...

In the first ten months of 2024, the volume of telecommunications services in Uzbekistan reached 16.9 trln soums, showing a 13.5% increase compared to the same period last year, according to the State Statistics Committee.

Telecommunications accounted for 2.6% of all services provided in the country during this period.

Since 2020, the telecommunications market has doubled in size. However, the growth rate from January to October 2024 was the lowest in the past five years.

The biggest market increase occurred in 2022, with a 21% rise in telecommunications services from January to October.

Kazakhstan’s IT sector continues to expand its global reach. Exports of IT services reached nearly $530 mln in 2023, according to the Minister of Digital Development, Olzhas Bektenov. For the first half of 2024, exports amounted to over $300 mln.

Currently, IT solutions developed in Kazakhstan are sold in 86 countries, which reflects a high demand for digital technologies. To further enhance market access, the Ministry, in collaboration with Astana Hub, is implementing programmes focused on long-term partnerships with global IT giants. 

The nation ranks among the top 30 most digitised nations globally and holds the eighth position in providing...

Between 2010 and 2021, global statistics on HIV morbidity and mortality showed significant improvements. According to an article in The Lancet, the number of new infections decreased by nearly 22%, and deaths related to HIV dropped by 40%.

The research, conducted across 204 countries and regions, revealed key trends in HIV morbidity and mortality. By 2021, the number of people living with HIV had reached 40 mln, an increase of 10.5 mln from 29.5 mln in 2010. In 2010, there were 2.11 mln new infections and 1.19 mln deaths. By 2021, these figures had declined to 1.65 mln new...