Kazakhstan presented its CryptoCity and Data Center Valley projects during talks with Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, with the sides focusing on AI, digital finance and computing infrastructure alongside new memoranda and the Binance Pay–Alatau City Bank partnership.

Tajikistan has started construction of the 340-meter, 77-story Dushanbe Tower, which is expected to become Central Asia’s tallest building as part of a 29-hectare complex featuring residential, commercial, educational and entertainment facilities.

Uzbekistan is preparing to establish a joint venture with foreign engineering companies to oversee its first integrated nuclear power plant project, as construction advances and authorities target 30% localization and 65–70% local workforce participation.

Kazakhstan and the IMO addressed maritime safety for commercial vessels, including tankers carrying Kazakh oil, as well as cooperation on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, Caspian cargo flows and international maritime standards.

Uzbekistan will open its first state Center for Contemporary Arts in Tashkent on September 6, featuring exhibition, educational and research spaces, international partnerships and an inaugural exhibition presenting 11 works, including an installation from the Guggenheim Museum collection.

Uzbekistan plans to make state registration mandatory for medical and pharmaceutical workers from 2030, alongside reforms introducing a six-year General Medicine degree, independent qualification assessments and annual continuing education requirements of up to 50 credits.

Kazakhstan and Laos are seeking to expand cooperation in agriculture, trade, logistics and digitalization, with plans to increase bilateral agricultural trade and use Kazakhstan’s transport infrastructure to promote Lao products across Central Asian and Eurasian markets.

Business sentiment improved in Tashkent city and region in 2Q26, with 53% of respondents reporting better conditions and 82% expecting the economy and business environment to improve over the next three years.

EBRD is providing a senior loan of up to €25mn to Kazakhstan’s TBF Holding Group to support the procurement, processing, storage, transportation and export of agricultural commodities, alongside a €500,000 grant aimed at expanding organic crop production, reducing fertilizer and water use, and improving agricultural supply chains.

Tashkent’s Shota Rustaveli BRT corridor recorded a 45% increase in average bus speeds, a 9% rise in daily public transport passenger flow and 90% satisfaction among 610 surveyed residents and passengers.

Uzbekistan’s first permanent centre for contemporary art, CCA Tashkent, will open on September 6 in a restored 1912 building that once served as a diesel station and tram depot.

The 12th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians opened in Samarkand, bringing together nearly 250 participants from 58 countries to discuss human rights, youth participation, justice and global challenges.

Uzbekistan has removed the requirement for citizens working in South Korea under E-9 visas to obtain Migration Agency approval before changing employers, while existing rules on job-seeker registration, legal stay and penalties for immigration violations remain in place.

Giorgia Meloni has served as Italy’s prime minister since October 2022, becoming the country’s longest-serving government leader, while Uzbekistan and Italy continue to deepen their strategic partnership.

Uzbekistan identified 321 cases of illegal energy use in August, involving 19mn kWh of electricity and 10mn cubic meters of natural gas worth a combined UZS 71.9bn ($6.1mn).

The U.S. State Department rejected the Taliban administration’s proposal for American investment in Afghanistan’s mining, infrastructure, agriculture and trade sectors, despite Kabul seeking foreign capital to develop mineral deposits estimated at nearly $1 trillion and having signed more than $7bn in mining contracts since 2021.