Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 21st May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The European Union has moved closer to implementing tariff cuts under last year’s U.S. trade agreement after negotiators agreed on a provisional legislative text.
Leaders of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) gathered in the Kazakh city of Turkistan for an informal summit focused on strengthening cooperation in trade, transport, energy and regional connectivity as the bloc seeks to expand its geopolitical and economic influence across Eurasia.
Türkiye and Armenia’s decision to allow direct trade marks one of the clearest signs yet of a gradual shift in relations between the long-time rivals, although analysts say the immediate economic impact is likely to remain modest.
China's Xi Jinping hailed positive trade negotiations with the United States at the start of a two-day summit with President Donald Trump in Beijing on Thursday, with discussions also set to cover the Iran war and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
Türkiye has completed formal preparations to begin direct commercial activity with Armenia, a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday, marking another step in the slow but steady normalisation of ties between the two neighbours.
Trade between the United Arab Emirates and Syria more than doubled in 2025, a UAE minister said on Tuesday during an investment forum in Damascus that reflected rapidly improving ties between the two countries.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for talks on trade, infrastructure and preparations for Putin’s state visit to Kazakhstan later this month.
U.S. President Donald Trump will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing next week on a two-day visit, his first trip to China in eight years. Delayed for two months by the Iran conflict, Taiwan, industrial matters, and the Strait of Hormuz are likely to dominate the talks.
Uzbekistan has unveiled a series of major economic and regional initiatives as more than 4,000 delegates from over 100 countries gather in Samarkand for the 59th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), held under the theme “Crossroads of Progress.”
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.
Afghanistan is exploring new business opportunities in cotton, tourism and minerals following trade and investment talks this week with officials from Uzbekistan and Türkiye.
President Donald Trump has warned that the U.S. could impose "big" tariffs on British goods if the UK does not remove its digital services tax. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump said Washington was ready to act in response to the levy on major American technology firms.
Japan on Tuesday unveiled its biggest overhaul of defence export rules in decades, scrapping restrictions on overseas arms sales and opening the way for exports of warships, missiles and other weapons.
Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev held a phone call on Sunday (19 April), highlighting the rapid expansion of bilateral ties and confirming plans for further high-level engagement.
China is seeking to strengthen and upgrade its cooperation with Turkmenistan, focusing on what officials describe as “high-quality development” across a range of sectors.
Kazakhstan plans to boost trade with Afghanistan from $500 million to $3 billion, backed by infrastructure and transit projects designed to strengthen regional connectivity and improve access to global markets.
Trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan has reached $1 billion, reflecting expanding economic cooperation and strengthening political ties between the two countries.
Trade between Azerbaijan and the U.S. reached $296.2 million in the first quarter of 2026, more than doubling compared with the same period last year, according to Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee.
Azerbaijan has recorded its first-ever imports from Armenia, signalling a tentative shift in economic ties between the two neighbours.
Kazakhstan and Türkiye are intensifying efforts to expand economic cooperation, setting a target to increase bilateral trade to $15 billion as both countries build on steady growth and broaden investment ties.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has met Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin in Baku for bilateral talks, covering political, economic, humanitarian and regional security issues, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.
The United States said on Wednesday its military had completely halted trade going in and out of Iran by sea, even though President Donald Trump said talks with Tehran on ending the war could resume this week.
The U.S.-sanctioned tanker Rich Starry made its way back to the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after exiting the Gulf the day before, shipping data showed, failing to break through a U.S. blockade on vessels calling at Iranian ports.
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