The Times Of Central Asia | Eurasian Publication & News Online

Uzbekistan and the United States launched a joint investment platform in Tashkent on June 16 as senior U.S. officials and corporate executives gathered for the fifth Tashkent International Investment Forum, advancing cooperation in energy, infrastructure, critical minerals, and advanced manufacturing. On the eve of the forum, Mirziyoyev hosted a delegation...

Tashkent International Investment Forum

Mirziyoyev and Mishustin Reaffirm Strategic Alliance as Russia Says Uzbekistan Projects Top $50 Billion

TASHKENT, June 17, 2026 — President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin in Tashkent on June 16, as the Russian premier arrived to take part in the Fifth Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF). In their meeting, the two...

FIFA World Cup

World Cup: Diaz’s quality shows as Colombia beat Uzbekistan 3-1

Tashkent International Investment Forum

Kyrgyz PM Courts Investors in Tashkent With Call for Shared Regional Future

Tashkent International Investment Forum

Data, Minerals, and the New Tashkent: Uzbekistan Pitches Its Next Growth Phase at Investment Forum

Uzbekistan used the opening of this year’s Tashkent International Investment Forum to make a broader pitch than investment alone: the country is presenting itself as a platform for data-driven governance, value-added mineral processing, and large-scale urban development. The fifth Tashkent International Investment Forum is being held in the Uzbek capital...

Tashkent International Investment Forum

Mirziyoyev Says Uzbekistan’s Doors Will “Always Remain Open” as Fifth Tashkent Investment Forum Begins

TASHKENT, June 17 — President Shavkat Mirziyoyev opened the Fifth Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF) on Wednesday with a message aimed squarely at the nearly 4,000 mostly foreign delegates packed into the hall: Uzbekistan's doors are open, and the country intends to keep them that way. Speaking under this year's...

Bloggers

Kyrgyzstan Proposes Blogger Tax Breaks as Kazakhstan Tightens Scrutiny

Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are taking sharply different approaches to the growing influence of bloggers. In Bishkek, President Sadyr Japarov has signed a decree calling for tax incentives for the IT sector, startups and creative industries, including bloggers, a move that has sparked criticism even from content creators themselves. In Astana,...

Defence Deals, Cotton Conscription, and Kyrgyzstan’s UN Victory

00:00 / 00:00

Sunkar Podcast

Kazakhstan to Host 2027 Table Tennis World Championships

00:00 / 00:00

Opinions

Opinion: Central Asia’s Shift from Silk Road Romance to Infrastructure Finance – What the June Forums Are Building

Dr. Magsud Mammadov

UNDP Opinion: Central Asia – Shared Wildlife, Shared Landscapes, Shared Responsibility

UNDP Representatives in Kazakhstan, Katarzyna Wawiernia, Kyrgyzstan, Alexandra Solovieva, Tajikistan, Sudipto Mukerjee, Turkmenistan, Narine Sahakyan, Uzbekistan, Akiko Fujii.

Opinion: Beyond Multivectorism – What Kyrgyzstan’s UN Security Council Win Really Shows

Zamirbek Minbaev

Opinion: Eurasia’s New Corridors Are More Than a Transit Race

Aidar Borangaziyev

Opinion: Silk Seven or the OTS? Central Asia May Not Have to Choose

Ken Moriyasu

Opinion: How AI Is Reshaping the Global Image of Nations

Sergey Akhmetov

Opinion: Middle Powers and the “Voice of the Region” – Is Central Asia Becoming a Coordinated Actor?

Timur Serikuly

Opinion: UK’s C6 Engagement and the Opportunity for British Geostrategic Renewal

Matthew Davies

Opinion: The Southern Dimension of the Middle Corridor – Afghanistan’s Role in Eurasia’s New Logistics Landscape

Timur Serikuly

Opinion: Kazakhstan, Oil, the Iran War and Dutch Disease

Charles McLean

Opinion: The U.S. Still Doesn’t Know Where Central Asia Belongs

Ken Moriyasu

Opinion: Hormuz Crisis Pushes Afghanistan Aid Routes Toward Central Asia

Aidar Borangaziyev

Business & Economy

Mining

Azerbaijan Moves Into Uzbekistan’s Gold and Critical Minerals Sector

Azerbaijan has moved from preliminary mining talks to signed project agreements in Uzbekistan. On June 16, state-owned AzerGold signed an agreement to jointly develop a gold deposit in Uzbekistan. A separate document covered a critical minerals project with NEQSOL Holding. Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov and Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov attended the ceremony in Tashkent. AzerGold chairman Zakir Ibrahimov and Uzbekistan's First Deputy Mining Minister Feruza Hamidova signed the gold agreement. Public releases provide few details on either project, naming no deposits and disclosing no reserve estimates, ownership split, investment value, production target, or timetable. Three Years of Groundwork...

Taxi Licensing

Kyrgyzstan Moves Taxi Licensing Online

Tashkent International Investment Forum

Washington and Tashkent Deepen Economic Ties at TIIF

Tashkent International Investment Forum

Mirziyoyev and Mishustin Reaffirm Strategic Alliance as Russia Says Uzbekistan Projects Top $50 Billion

Government Securities

Kyrgyzstan’s President Urges Citizens to Invest in Government Securities

Industrialization

Tajikistan Targets Industrial Growth as Share of GDP to Reach 30% by 2030

Tajikistan aims to increase industry’s share of gross domestic product to 30% by 2030 as part of its accelerated industrialization strategy, the State Committee on Investments and State Property Management said. The committee said the country has a strong raw materials base to support industrial development. According to the agency, Tajikistan has 10 of the 12 critical minerals most in demand for projects linked to the global green transition. More than 800 mineral and precious metal deposits have also been identified across the country, it said. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has also described Tajikistan as having more...

Foreign Investment

Foreign Investment in Uzbekistan Gains Strong Momentum

Foreign direct investment remains one of Uzbekistan’s key tools for supporting sustainable economic growth. The country is expanding capital inflows to finance large-scale projects in the power sector, industry, and infrastructure. According to the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), accumulated investment in Uzbekistan from countries in the Eurasian region, China, the Gulf states, and Turkey reached $32.9 billion in 2025, 2.6 times the 2020 level. Over the five-year period, the total rose by more than $20 billion, making Uzbekistan one of the most active investment destinations in Eurasia. China remains the largest investor in Uzbekistan’s economy, with accumulated investment reaching $10.7...

Tashkent International Investment Forum

Uzbekistan Moves Toward Investment Destination Status at Tashkent International Investment Forum

Uzbekistan’s capital markets are moving from promise to execution, and the National Investment Fund of the Republic of Uzbekistan (UzNIF) has become the clearest deal to show that shift. At the 5th Tashkent International Investment Forum, global investors, bankers, development finance institutions, and export credit agencies gathered gathered around one recurring message: Uzbekistan is no longer trying to convince the world that it is open for business. The challenge now is ensuring that investment momentum becomes sustainable and led by the private sector. During a panel discussion on political risk and blended finance, government officials and international investors debated how...

Tashkent International Investment Forum

Kyrgyz PM Courts Investors in Tashkent With Call for Shared Regional Future

Tashkent (June 17): Speaking to a packed audience at the opening of the fifth Tashkent International Investment Forum, Kyrgyz Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliev, chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and head of the Presidential Administration, opened his remarks with a sober assessment of the global landscape: "The global economy is undergoing a period of profound transformation: a technological revolution, an energy transition, the reshaping of global supply chains, growing demand for critical minerals, and the need to ensure food security are together creating new conditions of international competition while also opening new opportunities for cooperation." Despite global uncertainty, Kasymaliev argued...

Local Politics

Political Parties

Kazakhstan’s Party System Faces Its First Kurultai Test

Kazakhstan’s shift to a unicameral, party-list Kurultai is meant to strengthen political parties. But the ruling Amanat party’s June 12 vote to join the newly created Adilet party, followed by Adilet delegates’ approval on June 14, shows the first test of the new system will show whether the new party-list model broadens competition or mainly reorganizes the pro-presidential camp before the vote. Why Parties Matter Now On July 1, 2026, Kazakhstan’s new Constitution enters into force, abolishing the bicameral parliament and replacing it with a unicameral Kurultai of 145 deputies elected exclusively through party lists for a five-year term. The...

Adilet Party

Fraudsters Attempt to Exploit Kazakhstan’s Adilet Party Name

Drone Production

Kyrgyzstan Expands Domestic Drone Production

Political Parties

Kazakhstan’s Party Landscape Enters a Decisive Week

Armed Forces

Kyrgyzstan’s Armed Forces Double in Size Amid Rising Defense Spending

Education

Turkmenistan Sets New Rules for Mobile Devices in Schools

In 2020, Turkmenistan’s schools banned the use of mobile phones during classes. Now the government has introduced new rules regulating the use of portable devices in academic settings, seeking to use them as learning tools while addressing concerns about distraction and other potentially negative effects on students. A Ministry of Education order recognizes the value of mobile devices in education, saying they must provide access to learning resources, including multimedia content, and help students organize files that contain textbooks, courses, and other materials in electronic form. The devices must improve “the quality of educational management, especially in educational systems that...

Kazakhstan's Parliament

Amanat Adilet Merger as Kazakhstan Prepares for New Parliament

Kazakhstan’s long-dominant Amanat party has voted to merge into the newly formed pro-presidential Adilet party, transferring the machinery of the country’s ruling political force into a new vehicle more closely associated with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The move gives Adilet the campaign infrastructure and nationwide network of officials and activists that it lacked as a newly registered party. For Amanat, it offers a way to move beyond a political brand still closely associated with former President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Amanat held a congress in Astana on June 12 that is likely to be remembered as the final meeting of a political organization...

Cancer Treatment

Uzbekistan Cancer Care Reforms to be Launched in 2027

Uzbekistan plans to overhaul cancer care from 2027, with reforms aimed at detecting tumors earlier and expanding palliative support for patients outside the country’s main medical centers. The National Cancer Control Program, developed with the participation of the World Health Organization and international experts, aims to bring oncology services closer to international standards while improving access to care in the regions. The proposals point to one of the central weaknesses in cancer care across much of the region: patients are often diagnosed late and forced to travel to major cities for specialist treatment. Two key metrics for the plan are...

Parliamentary Elections

Kazakhstan’s August Elections: Who Will Enter the New Parliament?

On July 1, Kazakhstan’s new Constitution will come into force, triggering the dissolution of the current bicameral parliament. According to political observers, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is expected to sign a decree in early July calling elections to a new unicameral legislature, to be known as the Kurultai. No date has yet been formally announced, but analysts expect the vote to take place in the second half of August, most likely on either August 16 or August 23. On June 1, Kazakhstan officially registered a new political party, Adilet, meaning “Justice,” led by Aybek Dadebay, the former head of Tokayev’s presidential...

International Affairs

Transport & Logistics

Kazakhstan and Iran Expand Port Access to Boost Cargo Transit

Iran is ready to provide Kazakhstan with access to its port infrastructure to support cargo shipments to international markets, Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh said during talks with Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin. The meeting took place in Astana, where transport and logistics cooperation topped the agenda. The two sides discussed the development of the International North-South Transport Corridor, port infrastructure, bilateral trade, and transport links between Kazakhstan and Iran. Iranian officials said procedures had been finalized to allocate a land plot to Kazakhstan at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar...

Tashkent International Investment Forum

Mirziyoyev Says Uzbekistan’s Doors Will “Always Remain Open” as Fifth Tashkent Investment Forum Begins

TRIPP

The 43 Kilometers That Could Rewire Eurasia

Central Asia + Japan

Japan Extends $229 Million Loan to Boost Energy Efficiency in Uzbekistan

UNAMA

Opinion: Why the Next Head of UNAMA Should Come from Central Asia

Bilateral Relations

Uzbekistan Mahallasi Opens in Turkey’s Earthquake-Hit Hatay

A residential complex built by Uzbekistan in Turkey’s Hatay Province has officially become the center of a new neighborhood named “Uzbekistan Mahallasi,” marking another milestone in the growing partnership between the two countries. According to Uzbekistan’s Dunyo Information Agency, an opening ceremony was held in the Arsuz district of Hatay. Officials also inaugurated Shavkat Mirziyoyev Boulevard, along with Tashkent and Samarkand Streets. The event brought together senior officials from both countries, including Nuriddin Ismoilov, Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of Uzbekistan’s Oliy Majlis; Jurabek Rakhimov, governor of Khorezm Region; Numan Kurtulmuş, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey; Hatay...

Termez Dialogue 2026

Opinion: Indian Ambassador Says Shared Spiritual Legacy Reflects Indo-Uzbek Solidarity

TASHKENT, June 10, 2026 - Indian Ambassador to Uzbekistan Smita Pant used her official remarks at the Termez Dialogue 2026 to argue that connectivity between Central and South Asia cannot be judged by infrastructure alone. Roads, railways, ports, energy links, financial channels, and digital systems are essential. But durable cooperation also depends on confidence, cultural memory, and a willingness to treat sovereignty as a condition for partnership rather than an obstacle to it. The second meeting of the Termez Dialogue was held under the theme “Peace, Connectivity, and Resilience: Shaping the Foundation for Shared Prosperity.” It was organized by the...

Iran

U.S.-Iran Framework Could Reopen Central Asia’s Southern Route

The United States and Iran said on June 15 that they had reached a framework to end their war, halt the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The sides said a memorandum of understanding could be signed on June 19 in Switzerland. The exact terms were not immediately known, with Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions relief left for later talks. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the pact called for “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.” Trump posted, on Truth Social, “Ships of the World, start...

Migration

CIS Official Warns Middle East Crisis Could Increase Migration Pressure on Turkmenistan

Growing instability in the Middle East could trigger large-scale migration flows that may affect countries bordering Iran, including Turkmenistan, according to a senior security official from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The warning was issued by Evgeny Sysoev, head of the CIS Anti-Terrorism Center, during a meeting of the heads of competent authorities of CIS member states, according to the Azerbaijani newspaper Bakinskiy Rabochiy. Sysoev said the worsening international situation, particularly developments in the Middle East, had created conditions that could lead to significant migration movements and a humanitarian crisis similar to those seen during conflicts in Libya and...

Life & Culture

FIFA World Cup

World Cup: Diaz’s quality shows as Colombia beat Uzbekistan 3-1

In the breathless air of Mexico City, Colombia overcame a spirited Uzbekistan 3-1 in the first-ever FIFA World Cup game involving a Central Asian side. In a match which was otherwise low on quality, the difference-maker was Bayern Munich’s Luis Díaz. He created Colombia’s first goal, scored the second after Uzbekistan had briefly equalized, and gave the favorites a cutting-edge that they had otherwise lacked. For Uzbekistan, the defeat was not a humiliation. Abbosbek Fayzullaev’s second-half equalizer, the first World Cup goal scored by a Central Asian country, will go down in history. There was even a spell late when...

Film Industry

Bishkek Film Festival Positions Itself as Central Asia’s New Cinema Hub

Breastfeeding

Turkmenistan Promotes Breastfeeding After Reported Decline

Academy of Sciences

Turkmenistan’s President Serdar Berdimuhamedov Awarded Academic Titles

Podcast

Pannier and Hillard’s Spotlight on Central Asia: New Episode Coming Soon

World Nomad Games

Tea, Tug-of-War, and Team GB at the World Nomad Games

A British tug-of-war athlete preparing for a nomadic sports festival in Kyrgyzstan sounds like the start of a strange travel documentary. It is also part of the appeal of the World Nomad Games, which return to Kyrgyzstan from August 31 to September 6, 2026, with The Times of Central Asia once again reporting from the ground. Since their launch in 2014, the Games have grown far beyond their roots, turning traditional sports into an international meeting point for athletes, spectators, and cultures that rarely share the same arena. What began as a Kyrgyz initiative has become one of the world’s...

Archaeology

Kazakhstan’s Ancient Karakabak Reveals New Silk Road Links

Archaeologists studying the ancient settlement of Karakabak in Kazakhstan’s Mangistau Region say new findings show the site was part of ancient trade routes linking East and West. The archaeological site is located in Tupkaragan District on the Caspian Sea coast and dates to the 1st to 6th centuries AD. It was first discovered in 2006 during the compilation of Mangistau’s official register of historical monuments by the Mangistau State Historical and Cultural Reserve. Since 2022, excavations and research at Karakabak have been carried out by the Margulan Institute of Archaeology. Researchers have published 24 academic works based on materials from...

Photography

19th Century Photographs of Central Asia on Display in Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan’s Museum of Fine Arts is showcasing the work of Paul Nadar, a French photographer who documented daily life, ancient ruins and a Russian imperial railway during a three-month trip in Central Asia in the late 19th century. People in traditional dress are seen in some of the photos in the museum exhibition, offering a glimpse of local society at a time when much of Central Asia was unfamiliar to many in Western Europe. One image shows a solitary figure beside the railway in the Karakum Desert, an expanse that covers much of modern Turkmenistan. Others depict people on horseback....

Robotics

Kazakh Robotics Team Wins Top Judged Award at U.S. Tech Event

SHYMKENT — A school robotics team from southern Kazakhstan has won the Inspire Award in its division at a FIRST Tech Challenge Premier Event in the United States, giving Kazakhstan another international youth technology success. Atomic Heart, Team #33680 from NIS Shymkent Abai, won the Inspire Award at the Run for the Robots Premier Event - Man o' War Division, held May 28-30 at the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. FIRST's official results list Atomic Heart as the division's Inspire Award winner, ahead of U.S. teams from Missouri and Pennsylvania. [video width="832" height="464" mp4="https://timesca.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/first_13_seconds_no_watermark.mp4"][/video] The...

Justice

Drug Crime

Kazakhstan Seeks to Block Nearly 12,000 Drug-Related Websites in 2026

Kazakhstan has referred nearly 12,000 websites for blocking since the beginning of 2026 for advertising or facilitating the sale of narcotics, according to Eldar Abdikenov, deputy chairman of the Interior Ministry’s Committee for Combating Drug Crime. According to official data, more than 3,000 drug-related criminal offenses were recorded in Kazakhstan between January and May 2026, including around 1,500 classified as drug crimes. “As part of efforts to combat online drug trafficking, nearly 12,000 internet resources used for advertising and selling banned substances have been submitted for blocking through the Cybernadzor system,” Abdikenov said. The number of drug-related websites flagged through...

Bloggers

Kyrgyzstan Proposes Blogger Tax Breaks as Kazakhstan Tightens Scrutiny

Drug Trafficking

Uzbekistan Toughens Anti-Drug Laws as Synthetic Narcotics and Online Trafficking Rise

Stalking

Kazakhstan Considers Tougher Penalties for Repeat Stalking Offenses

Saddam Gulamov

Extradited Turkmen Activist Sentenced to Five Years in Prison

Public Health

Tajikistan Shuts Down Counterfeit Children’s Medicines Operation

Law enforcement authorities in Dushanbe have shut down an underground operation that allegedly produced counterfeit pharmaceutical products, including medicines intended for children. According to the Dushanbe police department, the seized products included syrups sold under well-known brands including Nurofen, Paracetamol, Lazolvan, Theraflu, and others. Authorities said the products were manufactured in unsanitary conditions and distributed with falsified branding. During searches, police confiscated around 35,900 bottles of syrup, more than 405,000 packages and labels, over 600 kilograms of raw materials, and equipment allegedly used in the production process. A 42-year-old Dushanbe resident, Otabek Dadachonov, has been detained on suspicion of organizing...

Forced Labor

ILO Urges Turkmenistan to Abolish Cotton Quota System

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has again criticized Turkmenistan over the continued use of forced labor in its cotton sector, calling on the country to dismantle its state-imposed cotton quota system and submit a detailed progress report by September 1. The call followed discussions at the annual International Labour Conference in Geneva, where the ILO’s Committee on the Application of Standards reviewed Turkmenistan’s compliance with Convention No. 105 on the Abolition of Forced Labour. This was the fifth time Turkmenistan’s implementation of the convention had been examined by the committee. The country ratified the convention in 1997, but concerns persist...

FIFA World Cup

Uzbekistan Seeks Explanation After World Cup Team Subjected to Security Checks in New York

Uzbekistan’s national football team was subjected to extensive security checks before a friendly match against the Netherlands in New York, prompting the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to seek an official explanation from United States authorities. The incident took place ahead of Uzbekistan’s final warm-up match before its historic debut at the FIFA World Cup. Videos showing players and coaching staff undergoing detailed inspections upon arrival at Icahn Stadium on Randalls Island circulated widely on social media and were later reported by the New York Post. According to the report, members of Uzbekistan’s delegation were searched with handheld metal detectors...

Counter-Terrorism

Kyrgyzstan Says 31 Suspected KTJ and Islamic State Members Detained in Southern Operation

Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security, or GKNB, said it detained 31 suspected members of Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad and Islamic State during an overnight counterterrorism operation in the southern Osh and Batken regions. The operation took place on the night of June 8-9. Authorities imposed a legal counterterrorist-operation regime in Osh, Kyzyl-Kiya, Kara-Suu district, and Uch-Korgon village in Kadamjay district. The GKNB said the suspects had planned attacks against law enforcement officers and religious figures. Security officers detained 11 people in Osh region and 20 in Batken region. During searches, officers seized religious extremist literature, electronic storage devices with extremist...

Environment

Environmental Research

Kyrgyzstan-Germany Project Studies Lake Issyk-Kul Ecosystem

A comprehensive scientific study of Lake Issyk-Kul began on June 11 as part of an international project involving Razzakov Kyrgyz State Technical University (KSTU), the International Medical University, and Germany’s Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries. Lake Issyk-Kul is Kyrgyzstan’s largest lake and its leading tourist destination. It also forms part of a protected ecological area. In recent decades, the lake has faced growing climate-related pressures. According to KSTU, cooperation between the scientific institutions began in 2024 with the establishment of the Issyk-Kul Ecological Laboratory in Cholpon-Ata. The laboratory has since become a platform for joint research into...

Water Management

Tajikistan and ADB Discuss Modernization of Tajik Sea Reservoir

Central Asia + Japan

Japan Extends $229 Million Loan to Boost Energy Efficiency in Uzbekistan

Forest Fires

Kazakhstan Develops Specialized Firefighting Vehicle for Forest Fires

Locust Control

Kazakhstan and China Test Biological Locust Control Agent

Irrigation

International Donors Commit $172 Million to Upgrade Kyrgyzstan’s Irrigation System

International financial institutions and development partners have committed $172 million to a major irrigation modernization project in Kyrgyzstan, aimed at improving water security and farm productivity as climate pressures grow. The World Bank approved $95.75 million in financing on June 12 for the Kyrgyz Republic National Irrigation Investment Program, which seeks to improve irrigation services in selected areas across the country. The financing package also includes $50 million from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, $20 million from the OPEC Fund for International Development, and a $6.25 million grant from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The project is also...

Recycling

Uzbekistan Draft Proposes Annual Fee for Vehicles Over 30 Years Old

A draft government resolution in Uzbekistan has proposed annual environmental compensation payments for owners of vehicles manufactured 30 or more years ago, as part of a wider plan to regulate end-of-life transport and expand vehicle recycling. The proposal has not yet been adopted. The draft document, titled “On Organizing the Utilization of Vehicles with Expired Service Life and Recycling of Their Components,” was released through official public consultation channels and outlines a phased approach to introducing scrappage and recycling mechanisms across the country. According to the proposal, from January 1, 2027, owners of passenger vehicles manufactured 30 or more years...

Waste Management

Bishkek Launches Second Phase of Waste-to-Energy Plant

Bishkek has begun construction of the second phase of its waste-to-energy plant, a project city officials say will significantly expand waste processing capacity and add to the Kyrgyz capital’s energy supply. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on June 11. The facility, located at Bishkek’s main sanitary landfill, is the first waste-to-energy plant in Central Asia. Its first phase was officially inaugurated in December 2025 and was designed to process 1,000 tons of municipal solid waste per day. The plant was built by China’s Hunan Junxin Environmental Protection Co., Ltd., which invested $95 million in the project. The second phase will...

Lake Balkhash

Kazakhstan and France Develop Master Plan to Preserve Lake Balkhash

Kazakhstan and France are developing a long-term strategy to preserve Lake Balkhash, one of Eurasia’s largest inland water bodies, as concerns grow over the impact of climate change and shifting water resources in the region. An open meeting of the working group tasked with preparing a master plan for the conservation of the lake’s ecosystem was held in Astana. The project is being implemented through cooperation between Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the French Development Agency, and France’s Bureau of Geological and Mining Research. Lake Balkhash, located in southeastern Kazakhstan, is the world’s second-largest non-drying saline lake after...

Uzbekistan Moves Toward Investment Destination Status at Tashkent International Investment Forum

Latest

Features

Features

Defence Deals, Cotton Conscription, and Kyrgyzstan’s UN Victory

Latest

Sunkar Podcast

Defence Deals, Cotton Conscription, and Kyrgyzstan’s UN Victory

Sunkar Podcast

Opinions

Opinions

Dr. Magsud Mammadov

UNDP Representatives in Kazakhstan, Katarzyna Wawiernia, Kyrgyzstan, Alexandra Solovieva, Tajikistan, Sudipto Mukerjee, Turkmenistan, Narine Sahakyan, Uzbekistan, Akiko Fujii.

Zamirbek Minbaev

Aidar Borangaziyev

Ken Moriyasu

Sergey Akhmetov

Timur Serikuly

Matthew Davies

Timur Serikuly

Charles McLean

Ken Moriyasu

Aidar Borangaziyev

Business & Economy

Business & Economy

Azerbaijan Moves Into Uzbekistan’s Gold and Critical Minerals Sector

Tajikistan Targets Industrial Growth as Share of GDP to Reach 30% by 2030

Foreign Investment in Uzbekistan Gains Strong Momentum

Uzbekistan Moves Toward Investment Destination Status at Tashkent International Investment Forum

Kyrgyz PM Courts Investors in Tashkent With Call for Shared Regional Future

Local Politics

Local Politics

Kazakhstan’s Party System Faces Its First Kurultai Test

Turkmenistan Sets New Rules for Mobile Devices in Schools

Amanat Adilet Merger as Kazakhstan Prepares for New Parliament

Uzbekistan Cancer Care Reforms to be Launched in 2027

Kazakhstan’s August Elections: Who Will Enter the New Parliament?

International Affairs

International Affairs

Kazakhstan and Iran Expand Port Access to Boost Cargo Transit

Uzbekistan Mahallasi Opens in Turkey’s Earthquake-Hit Hatay

Opinion: Indian Ambassador Says Shared Spiritual Legacy Reflects Indo-Uzbek Solidarity

U.S.-Iran Framework Could Reopen Central Asia’s Southern Route

CIS Official Warns Middle East Crisis Could Increase Migration Pressure on Turkmenistan

Life & Culture

Life & Culture

World Cup: Diaz’s quality shows as Colombia beat Uzbekistan 3-1

Tea, Tug-of-War, and Team GB at the World Nomad Games

Kazakhstan’s Ancient Karakabak Reveals New Silk Road Links

19th Century Photographs of Central Asia on Display in Turkmenistan

Kazakh Robotics Team Wins Top Judged Award at U.S. Tech Event

Justice

Justice

Kazakhstan Seeks to Block Nearly 12,000 Drug-Related Websites in 2026