Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed laws introducing stricter financial requirements for foreign workers, as Moscow continues to tighten migration controls affecting millions of labour migrants, particularly from Central Asia.
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have signed regional and commercial agreements worth more than 80 billion tenge ($146 million). The deals aim to expand cooperation between the two Central Asian neighbors in trade, transport, industry and cross-border development.
Kazakhstan is set to become the first country in Central Asia to introduce electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis into its transport system.
Foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) have concluded talks in Kyrgyzstan, approving key documents for the upcoming Bishkek summit. Discussions focused on regional security, economic cooperation, transport links and shared challenges.
The Turkmenbashi International Seaport has launched pilot cargo transit operations using the electronic TIR system on the Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan transport corridor, marking a step towards fully digital customs procedures across the region.
Afghanistan and Uzbekistan have agreed to advance studies for the Trans-Afghan railway during talks in Uzbekistan on Wednesday, as both countries seek to expand freight links between Central and South Asia.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has expressed its deepest condolences following the confirmed deaths of five Afghans in Nimroz province, while the search continues for 14 others.
Uzbekistan and Italy's Tuscany region have agreed to expand cooperation in trade, investment, education and culture following talks between President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Tuscany Governor Eugenio Giani in Tashkent.
Uzbekistan and Türkiye have agreed to expand the range of products eligible for preferential tariff treatment, signing a protocol that adds eight new tariff lines to their Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA). The move increases the total number of covered product categories from 12 to 20.
Uzbekistan will establish an intermodal logistics centre in Belarus before the end of 2026 and launch more than $100 million worth of new regional investment projects as the two countries accelerate implementation of their newly established strategic partnership.
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have begun installing the first border markers along their shared frontier, marking the start of the physical demarcation of a boundary that was disputed for decades before being formally settled under a landmark agreement signed earlier this year.
Climate change could leave Kazakhstan facing severe water shortages, longer heatwaves and mounting economic losses within decades, as rising temperatures and shrinking glaciers reshape water security across Central Asia, scientists warn.
Kyrgyzstan's government has banned the sale of gasoline and diesel fuel indefinitely. The Central Asian country imports more than 90 per cent of its fuel from Russia, which has faced supply issues due to Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries.
Afghan authorities in Kabul and Herat have sought wider investment, trade and environmental cooperation with Uzbekistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran and an international aid organisation.
Russia’s fuel shortages are spreading into Central Asia, exposing the region’s heavy reliance on Russian petrol and diesel as governments race to secure alternative supplies and contain rising prices.
The South Caucasus is increasingly being viewed not only through the lens of past conflicts but also as a strategic bridge linking Europe, the Caspian region and Central Asia. One analyst says this presents an opportunity for a new Euro-Atlantic approach focused on long-term regional cooperation.
Kyrgyzstan has asked the 1.3 million residents of its capital Bishkek to leave the city while it hosts two international events at the end of August. In an appeal posted on social media, the government said it wanted to reduce disruption to people due to expected road closures during the period.
Kyrgyzstan’s ex-second in command, Kamchybek Tashiev, has been convicted of plotting to overthrow the country’s President Sadyr Japarov. Tashiev and Japarov had ruled the Central Asian nation in tandem since 2020, until the former was unexpectedly ousted in February.
Uzbekistan will open an embassy in Georgia, the Central Asian country’s presidency has said. The announcement follows talks between Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in Tbilisi.
Kazakhstan will hold a snap parliamentary election on 23 August under a decree signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, paving the way for a new constitutional system in the Central Asian state.
China and several Central Asian countries have agreed to develop a joint satellite constellation to monitor natural disasters, track environmental change and improve regional disaster preparedness through shared remote-sensing data.
Kazakhstan has not received an official request from Russia for petrol supplies, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said, as fuel shortages and sales restrictions in Russia raise concerns over fuel supplies across Central Asia.
Russia is seeking to expand cooperation with Central Asian countries in the exploration, extraction and processing of rare earth metals, underlining the region's growing importance in the global race for critical raw materials.
Pakistan and Iran are accelerating efforts to transform their shared border from a historically volatile frontier into a hub for trade and investment, as both countries advance plans for a special economic zone and pursue a target of $10 billion in bilateral trade.
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