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Central Asia

Uzbekistan

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  1. Trans-Afghan railway advances, Russian Railways joins feasibility study
    EconomyBrief9 Jun

    Trans-Afghan railway advances as Russian Railways joins the feasibility study

    The railway is sold as Central Asia’s own outlet to the sea. Its newest study partner is Russian Railways.

  2. Tashkent international airport
    EconomyBrief8 Jun

    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.

  3. EBRD Annual Meeting opens in Riga: what Central Asia is watching
    EconomyBrief5 Jun

    EBRD Annual Meeting opens in Riga: what Central Asia is watching

    The bank's 35th gathering runs June 5–7. The Governors' plenary is June 6. The updated Regional Economic Prospects drop June 7. Central Asian finance ministers are in the room.

  4. Uzbekistan's trade deficit hit $6.4bn β€” the headline is misleading
    EconomyBrief4 Jun

    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.

  5. What the EBRD Is Bringing to Riga β€” and What Central Asia Should Watch
    AnalysisAnalysis3 Jun

    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.

  6. BTK goes full throttle: upgraded Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway enters operation
    EconomyBrief3 Jun

    BTK Goes Full Throttle: Upgraded Baku–Tbilisi–Kars Railway Enters Operation

    Capacity jumped from 1 to 5 million tonnes a year. The Middle Corridor's western spine is no longer a bottleneck.

  7. The SCO at 25
    AnalysisAnalysis2 Jun

    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

  8. SPIEF 2026
    EconomyAnalysis2 Jun

    The Level of the Delegation Is the Message

    Central Asia is in St. Petersburg this week β€” but not equally. What each country’s roster says about where the relationship with Russia actually stands

  9. President of Uzbekistan launches construction of New Tashkent international airport
    EconomyBrief29 May

    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

  10. Uzbekistan and Afghanistan Open New Rail Terminal at Hairatan
    EconomyBrief26 May

    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

  11. Uzbekistan's Reform Track Attracts South Korean and Turkish Manufacturing Interest
    EconomyBrief13 May

    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

  12. Delays And Rising Costs: Central Asia Feels Fallout From Iran War
    EconomyBrief8 May

    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.

  13. Kyrgyz Republic monument with regional flags.
    EconomyBrief7 May

    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 country’s 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.