Author: Batir Kodirov

In May, Uzbekistan increased the export of natural gas to China in price terms, China’s General Customs Authority said on Tuesday. Reportedly, in April, Uzbekistan resumed the gas exports and exported gas worth $40.47 million. In May, the volume of supplies topped US$78.16 million. In total for two months, the figure reached $118.6 million, which is by 2.5 times less than the figure for the same period last year – $301.9 million. This can be explained by the suspension of gas exports in January-March against the background of the energy crisis in Uzbekistan. The Statistics Agency reports that the total…

On June 18, Minister of Transport Ilhom Mahkamov met with Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash, the press service of the Ministry of Transport said. The parties reached an agreement on the development and use of the Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran transport multimodal corridor. They also agreed in the near future to finalize a document on reducing on a parity basis the fees levied by Iran from the Uzbek national carriers for the transportation of goods by road, as well as equalizing tax fees on fuel with taxes from other countries. While, also the parties came to an agreement to…

Uzbek Oman Investment Company (UzOman), a joint investment venture between Oman Investment Authority (OIA) and the Uzbek Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan (UFRD), has invested in digital lending platform Zood’s operations in Uzbekistan. Switzerland-based Zood offers financial solutions in Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Lebanon. The wealth funds did not reveal details of the investments made in Zood . UzOman focuses on identifying high-potential investments that promote economic growth and development in Uzbekistan. “Mohamed Al Lawati, CEO of UzOman, said: “This investment is part of our ongoing efforts to promote and invest in Uzbekistan’s rapidly growing financial sector.” Zood…

The latest set of European Union sanctions aimed at exerting pressure on Russia includes two companies based in Uzbekistan among the list of entities seen lending support to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Their inclusion among the 87 companies added on June 23 to an ever-growing list of enterprises found by the EU to be enabling the Russian military-industrial complex comes a few months after they were featured in a similar list drawn up by the U.S. government. In April, the U.S. Department of Commerce described the activities of Alfa Beta Creative and GFK Logistics Asia, both of which are headquartered in Tashkent, as…

The Central Election Commission at a meeting on June 9 approved the form and text of the ballot for the presidential elections in Uzbekistan, which will be held on July 9. The four candidates will be listed on the ballot according to the Uzbek alphabet. They will also be listed in the protocols on the results of the counting of votes at polling stations and on the determination of the election results. The meeting also discussed the issues of video broadcasting of the electoral process at some polling stations. It is planned that the video broadcast will be conducted from…

In a captivating display of India’s soft power, a Bollywood-themed musical program has taken Uzbekistan by storm, gaining immense popularity and showcasing the deep admiration for Hindi films in the Central Asian nation. The hit television show, Bollywood Battle, aired on the local channel Sevimli TV, features competitors reenacting iconic scenes from famous Bollywood songs, receiving accolades for their performances. The final episode of Bollywood Battle welcomed distinguished guests, Indian ambassador to Uzbekistan Manish Prabhat and his wife, Ruchi Narain. The Indian ambassador Prabhat commended the show, stating that it has “created a little piece of India” and contributed to a heightened understanding…

Uzbek authorities last week harassed an LGBTQ and intersex rights activist while he was attending a European Bank for Reconstruction and Development meeting that took place in the Central Asian country. Nezir Sinani, who is from Kosovo, is the co-director of Re-course, which is based in the Netherlands. He said Uzbek police on May 17 “started harassing and intimidating me, stopping me from entering the meeting venue (in Samarkand) and confiscating meeting materials.” “This included the Uzbek police calling the (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) security officer asking for my info details,” said Sinani in a tweet. May 17 was the…

In the three decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation and China have pursued divergent interests in post-Soviet Central Asia, as Moscow seeks to retain its influence even as Beijing’s “soft power” grows, underpinned by its dynamic economy. In a recent sign of the latter, Chinese President Xi Jinping, in his congratulatory Nowruz message on March 21 to Tajikistani President Emomali Rahmon, announced that China was preparing a “grandiose plan” for upgrading relations with Central Asia, stating, “The new plan will be presented at the first China–Central Asia summit in Xian in May.” Xi also sent…

A regular meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to be held in Samarkand on April 14. The meeting is aimed at discussing 10 issues covering a wide range of areas of cooperation within the CIS, in particular, an exchange of views on topical issues on the international agenda. At the same time, the members of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs plan to discuss the issue of the Spartakiade (international sports event popularized during the Soviet times) of the CIS countries among children with disabilities. It is expected that the FMs…

TEMPO.CO, Makassar, South Sulawesi – A joint team of researchers from Indonesia’s Makassar-based Muhammadiyah University and Uzbekistan’s Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Language are conducting a collaborative research project on experiential learning. The researchers comprise three from Muhammadiyah University: Eny Syatriana (head of the team), Ariana, and St Fathin. They also include five researchers from Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Language: Abdullayeva Lola Tohirovna, Suleymanova Nargiza Mardonovna, Parsayeva Malika, Muxtarova Shaxnoza, and Tuyq’unnova Shohsanam, according to a press statement that ANTARA received on Saturday. The research project has been entitled “Exploring the Experiential Learning Cycle Application in Depth: A Case Study of Universitas…