Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have moved to deepen their strategic partnership, with President Ilham Aliyev’s state visit focusing on political ties, education, culture and stronger links between Central Asia and the South Caucasus.
Central Asia’s fintech ambitions are in the spotlight as a major forum in Tashkent draws to a close, shifting attention from the region’s potential to the investment, infrastructure and global reach needed to turn that vision into growth.
The Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum will bring more than 6,000 policymakers, investors and technology leaders from 74 countries to Tashkent, as Central Asia seeks a bigger role in the global fintech landscape.
Kazakhstan plans to build an international Earth observation satellite network of up to 14 spacecraft, expanding a project already bringing together Mongolia, the Republic of the Congo and Nigeria.
Türkiye plans to increase defence spending by 229 per cent under a three-year economic plan designed to boost domestic arms production and advanced military technology.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and UN refugee agency representative Arafat Jamal discussed closer coordination on refugee returns on Sunday, with more than six million Afghans returning to the country since 2023.
A unique architectural monument dating back to the 9th to 12th centuries has been discovered in the village of Gargara, in the Korez village commune in Dangara district in Tajikistan.
Japan and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime have launched a $9.4 million, two-year project across five Afghan provinces to help former poppy-growing families and expand drug prevention and treatment services.
Flights between Central Asia and Russia have faced widespread disruption, with aircraft diverted, turned back or cancelled amid restrictions in Russian airspace and conflicting claims from Moscow and Kyiv over aviation safety.
Russia’s Rosatom and Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants have signed a contract to build two units at the Balkhash nuclear power plant, with a combined capacity of 2.4 gigawatts.
Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) have gathered in Bishkek for a summit focused on trade, investment and transport as the group marks 25 years since its creation.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have concluded talks in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, as leaders gather for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Uzbekistan has been named one of the world’s leading destinations for solo travelers, ranking fifth in the 2026 Solo Travel Index compiled by international travel platform Much Better Adventures.
Central Asia is moving towards a more connected digital financial system, as rising cashless payments, expanding digital wallets and growing cross-border trade create demand for faster and cheaper ways to move money across the region.
Central Asia is emerging as a new market for fintech investment, with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan leading the region’s push to attract venture capital, develop startups and build digital financial infrastructure.
Kazakhstan’s government has stepped down as the newly elected unicameral parliament, known as the Kurultai, begins its first session, marking the next stage of political restructuring under the country’s new Constitution.
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has joined other world leaders in supporting a social media ban for youth under 16 years old. He made the statement during a session of the newly elected parliament in Astana on Friday.
Kazakhstan is discussing support for the Trans-Caspian green energy corridor with the European Commission, as work continues on a project to transmit electricity from Central Asia towards European markets, Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry said.
The inaugural Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum brought together policymakers, investors and technology companies as Central Asia looks to build a more connected financial system and compete for a bigger share of global fintech investment.
Syrian and Israeli officials held U.S.-brokered talks in Jordan on Sunday to ease tensions after an Israeli strike on a Syrian airbase near Türkiye last week.
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