Samarkand is hosting the 59th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), where global leaders have gathered to discuss regional growth, as the bank unveils a major $70 billion initiative to strengthen energy and digital connectivity across Asia and the Pacific.
A central announcement of the forum is a major programme led by the ADB to support cross-border energy integration and digital infrastructure development through to 2035.
The initiative will focus on linking regional power grids, expanding electricity trade between countries, and improving broadband access, particularly in remote and landlocked areas. According to officials, the programme aims to enhance economic integration, reduce energy costs and improve digital inclusion across the region.
ADB President Masato Kanda stated that energy and digital access will define the region’s future, with plans to connect 22,000 kilometres of power lines, integrate 20 gigawatts of renewable energy, and improve electricity access for 200 million people. The initiative is also expected to create hundreds of thousands of jobs and significantly reduce emissions.
Held under the theme “Crossroads of Progress”, the meeting in Samarkand brings together more than 4,000 delegates from more than 100 countries, including government officials, financial institutions and private-sector leaders.
Discussions are centred on green transformation, energy transition, digitalisation, food security and strengthening supply chains, all seen as critical to long-term economic resilience.
Major international institutions, including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, are also taking part, highlighting the forum’s role as a key platform for global economic dialogue.
Uzbekistan has been a member of the ADB since 1995 and remains one of its largest partners, with a total project portfolio approaching $16 billion.
The country is hosting the annual meeting for the second time, underscoring its increasing role in regional cooperation and its ambitions to position itself as a key hub for connectivity and development across Central Asia.
The discussions in Samarkand are expected to shape future approaches to infrastructure, investment and regional integration, as countries seek to balance economic growth with sustainability and resilience.
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The Republic of Uzbekistan and the Czech Republic have agreed to increase bilateral trade to $1 billion and explore the resumption of direct flights between Tashkent and Prague following high-level talks between President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.
Tashkent hosted the INMerge Innovation Summit Roadshow, bringing together start-ups, investors and technology leaders to explore the future of Central Asia’s digital economy and regional cooperation.
Kazakhstan has ratified a regional green energy agreement with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, signalling Central Asia’s ambition to become a key supplier of renewable energy to international markets.
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are advancing one of Central Asia’s largest joint energy projects: the construction of the Kambarata HPP-1 hydropower plant on the Naryn River in Kyrgyzstan, with a planned capacity of nearly 2,000 megawatts.
Ukraine is monitoring “unusual activity” along its border with Belarus, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video statement released on Saturday (2 May). He warned that Kyiv is ready to respond if necessary amid continued regional tensions linked to Russia’s war.
Hundreds of young people in South Korea have gathered in Seoul to take part in a city-backed “power nap contest”, aimed at drawing attention to the country’s chronic sleep deprivation.
China has moved to block U.S. sanctions on five of its oil refineries, in a fresh escalation of tensions over trade and energy policy.
Türkiye’s Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz is set to visit Armenia in early May to take part in the 8th European Political Community Summit, in what will be the highest-level Turkish visit to the country to date. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is reportedly expected to miss the forum.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will “soon be reviewing” a new 14-point proposal sent by Iran, casting doubt on the chances of a deal after Tehran called for security guarantees, an end to naval blockades and a halt to the war across the region, including in Lebanon.
Minval Politika has released a third set of footage it says shows former International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo discussing the use of artificial intelligence in a project linked to Armenia and ‘Nagorno-Karabakh’.
Israel has approved a major defence deal to purchase new squadrons of advanced fighter jets from U.S. manufacturers Lockheed Martin and Boeing, the country’s defence ministry said on Sunday (3 May).
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has been taken to hospital in Iran after what her family described as a “catastrophic deterioration” in her health, including a severe cardiac crisis.
President Donald Trump has said the United States could restart strikes on Iran “if they misbehave”, as he waits to review the full details of a new proposal from Tehran.
Tourism across Central Asia is expanding rapidly, with millions of visitors arriving each year as the region becomes an increasingly competitive global travel destination, though growth rates vary significantly between countries.
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