Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan target $1 billion in trade by 2030
Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are drawing up a new programme aimed at boosting bilateral trade to $1 billion by 2030, as the two countries move to deep...
After a call with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv now sees “many prospects” for peace, pointing to progress made during recent discussions with U.S. officials in Geneva, Switzerland.
Moreover, Starmer is scheduled to lead a call of the “Coalition of the Willing” later on Tuesday, as Ukraine’s allies assess recent diplomacy and coordinate on next steps regarding the amended plan. Zelenskyy said the coalition discussions would address “priority issues for discussion, as well as some of the next steps and contacts.”
These developments come after European nations submitted a revised version of the Trump administration's peace proposal on Monday. Reportedly, this revision removes several provisions from the original U.S. 28-point plan, which had caught Ukraine and European partners off guard last week.
The 28-point U.S.-backed plan, while affirming Ukraine’s sovereignty, proposed freezing territorial lines with Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk recognised as de facto Russian, and limiting Ukraine’s armed forces while formally excluding NATO membership. In return, Russia would commit to non-aggression, halt expansionist actions, accept arms-control measures and allow international oversight of sensitive sites such as the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
The draft raised concerns in Europe that Kyiv might be pressured into concessions seen as aligning with Russian interests. Reuters obtained a copy of the European counterproposal, which several U.S. outlets confirmed with European sources to be accurate. Reportedly, the European revisions aim to strike a balance by removing provisions that Kyiv and several European nations viewed as unacceptable or overly favourable to Russia.
The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen colleagues killed in Gaza in April 2024.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
North Korea has fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles after U.S. President Donald Trump reduced American participation in joint military exercises with South Korea in an effort to revive dialogue with Pyongyang.
Georgia’s foreign trade data for January-July 2026 shows Kyrgyzstan, China and Russia as its top three export markets, highlighting its Middle Corridor ambitions and complex economic ties with Moscow.
Kazakhstan will vote on 23 August in its first parliamentary election under the new Constitution, choosing 145 members of the new Kurultai under a fundamentally changed electoral system based entirely on party lists.
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