Uzbekistan

Trans-Afghan railway advances as Russian Railways joins the feasibility study
The railway is sold as Central Asiaβs own outlet to the sea. Its newest study partner is Russian Railways.

Uzbekistan breaks ground on a new Tashkent international airport this month
The current airport handles 14 million passengers a year and is at capacity. The new facility is designed for 30 million. Construction starts June 2026.

EBRD Annual Meeting opens in Riga: what Central Asia is watching
The bank's 35th gathering runs June 5β7. The Governors' plenary is June 6. The updated Regional Economic Prospects drop June 7. Central Asian finance ministers are in the room.

Uzbekistan's Trade Deficit Hit $6.4 Billion in Four Months. The Headline Is Misleading
Total turnover reached $26.3 billion, up 5.8%. Exports fell 16.8%. But strip out gold β which Tashkent paused for six months β and the picture looks different.

What the EBRD Is Bringing to Riga β and What Central Asia Should Watch
The Bank's 35th Annual Meeting opens Thursday. For the region, three things matter: the new Regional Economic Prospects, the Aktau port investment, and the signal on Trans-Caspian financing.
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BTK Goes Full Throttle: Upgraded BakuβTbilisiβKars Railway Enters Operation
Capacity jumped from 1 to 5 million tonnes a year. The Middle Corridor's western spine is no longer a bottleneck.

The SCO at 25: A Quarter-Century of Summits, Zero Kilometres of New Railway
The anniversary session in St. Petersburg today will celebrate what the organisation has become. The Central Asian members are more interested in what it might finally build

The Level of the Delegation Is the Message
Central Asia is in St. Petersburg this week β but not equally. What each countryβs roster says about where the relationship with Russia actually stands

Mirziyoyev Launches Central Asia's Largest Airport Project
A $4.5 billion consortium of Saudi, Japanese and Korean investors breaks ground on a new Tashkent hub with a 20 million passenger target

Uzbekistan and Afghanistan Open New Rail Terminal at Hairatan
Port No. 5 received its first freight train on 21 May β a small step in a large corridor ambition

Uzbekistan's Reform Track Attracts South Korean and Turkish Manufacturing Interest
Tashkent's special economic zones drawing foreign investors as labour costs and regulatory environment improve

Delays And Rising Costs: Central Asia Feels Fallout From Iran War
As expected, the launching of US and Israeli air strikes on Iran -- and retaliatory strikes by Tehran on targets in the Mideast -- has hit the economies of the region. But the shockwaves are arguably being felt just as much in Central Asian nations who rely on goods flowing through Iran.

Trade and Economic Park Planned at Border of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan
On May 6, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov visited the Dostuk Stele (Friendship) in the countryβs southwestern Batken region, erected at the junction point of the state borders of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, where he reviewed the concept and master plan for the proposed Dostuk International Trade and Economic Park.