Author: Tim Norman

In a move that can cause fresh tensions in the region, Sri Lanka has allowed the Chinese Navy training ship, Po Lang, to dock at its port, despite a 12-month moratorium imposed earlier this year on foreign research vessels, following security concerns raised by India and the United States. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath explained the decision to permit the Po Lang—a three-masted tall ship with a crew of 130. He emphasized that the vessel is classified as “a training vessel and not a research craft.” He stated that there has been no change in the policy regarding research vessels. The…

ING has initiated regular coverage of Uzbekistan. The bank’s chief economist, CIS, Dmitry Dolgin and EM sovereign strategist James Wilson, take a broad look at what the recent geopolitical shift in the CIS region as well as domestic developments mean for the country’s economic activity, fiscal and monetary policy, interest and exchange rates. They also take a snapshot of what the bank sector lending looks like. Country view: Uzbekistan is posting solid economic growth rates and is increasingly affected by fiscal policy, which is showing signs of easing in 2023. The key focus is on the soum, which has been the worst-performing currency in the CIS space. We…

London (07/11 – 71) For ten years now, the authorities of Tajikistan have been engaged in forced assimilation of the ethnic Pamiri people, giving away the heartlands to China for debts,” Orzu M. shared with RFI – Radio France Internationale is a French news and current affairs public radio station that broadcasts worldwide. RFI met with Orzu in Paris, sharing the fact that more and more Pamiris are leaving their native homes in Gorno-Badakhshan Mountainous Autonomous (GBAO) Region of Tajikistan; they are driven into exile by the persecution of the authorities, who are displacing indigenous peoples. RFI: How did it…

AKIPRESS.COM – President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived in New York to attend the 78th session of the UN General Assembly on September 17, UzA reports. On the eve of the President’s visit to the United States, Washington hosted the Uzbekistan – American Business Forum. It was attended by heads of relevant ministries and agencies, industry associations, commercial banks, and investment structures of the two countries, as well as leaders of large US corporations engaged in ICT, mechanical engineering, agriculture, light industry, transport, banking, and other areas. Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khojayev, Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Laziz…

Hundreds of migrant workers hailing predominantly from Central Asia have been rounded up in a wave of police raids that has swept several Russian cities in recent weeks. The round-ups appear to primarily target male migrants who recently received Russian citizenship but failed to complete their compulsory military registration. Some are handed military summons on the spot, while others are forcibly taken to military enlistment offices, according to local media reports.  While the raids are hardly new, experts told The Moscow Times that they are increasingly a part of Russia’s efforts to use migrant workers to bolster its manpower in Ukraine. When combined with…

The Department of State has issued all available 55,000 diversity visas for the 2023 Diversity Visa Program.  Each year, the Department of State is legally allowed to issue approximately 55,000 diversity visas.  When all of the 55,000 diversity visas are issued, the program concludes for that year in all countries – not just Uzbekistan.   The next Diversity Visa Program entry period will open in early October, and we encourage all who are eligible to apply. Those who were not selected this year are able to apply for the program again. The U.S. Embassy in Tashkent will release more information about…

On November 6, 2021, in his second inaugural speech, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev proclaimed the time was right to update the country’s constitution. “In many countries, constitutional reforms were carried out during a period of dramatic changes,” he said, defining his hoped-for constitutional amendments as “the essence” of the reforms his government had committed to carrying out. In the referendum that was held on April 30, 2023, according to official statements, over 90 percent of voters approved the changes. Although the updated constitution has provisions on human rights and freedom of speech, these are overshadowed by the reality that the…

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has held discussions with the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev on his first-ever visit to the central Asian nation, applauded the country’s involvement in the FIFA Forward and Football For Schools programme, before attending a top-flight game in Tashkent. The FIFA President met President Mirziyoyev in the Uzbek capital where only last month FIFA’s Football for Schools programme was launched, making Uzbekistan the first central Asian country to take part in the initiative. “The reason why we launched this programme here,” Mr. Infantino said “is because, of course, Uzbekistan is an important country, it’s a big…

Located on the ancient Silk Road crossing Central Asia and South Asia, Uzbekistan has been something of a success story in the foreign direct investment (FDI) world. The former Soviet state, which was largely closed off to the rest of the world until six years ago, has achieved impressive FDI flows in a short space of time. Following the death of long-time autocrat Islam Karimov in 2016, as well as the appointment of Shavkat Mirziyoyev as president, Uzbekistan began liberalising its centrally planned economy and transitioning to a more free-market economy. The results are encouraging. FDI inflows increased from $2bn in 2017 to…

Boris Johnson has been referred to police by the Cabinet Office over further potential rule breaches during the Covid pandemic. The department said it made the referral after a review of documents ahead of the Covid public inquiry. A spokesperson for the former PM dismissed claims of any breaches as a “politically motivated stitch-up”. Both the Metropolitan and Thames Valley Police say they are assessing the information received. The Cabinet Office said officials had been obliged to disclose the documents to the police under civil service rules. The Times, which first reported the story, says Mr Johnson has been referred to Thames…