Energy and Economy

Uzbekistan's Economy Booms: 6.5% Growth and Investments

Uzbekistan’s economy grew 6.5% in 2024 by reaching a GDP of $115 billion, driven by a surge in foreign investment, which increased about 60% to $34.9 billion. Tashkent launched 242 major projects worth $10 billion, with exports hitting a record $27 billion. Key sectors such as mining, oil and gas, and agriculture performed well, while state-owned enterprises in textiles and energy missed investment targets. In 2025, Uzbekistan aims to attract $42 billion in foreign investment, focusing on regional development, export growth, and bureaucratic reforms to improve investment efficiency. The government is also exploring Eurobonds and international investment project funding to sustain its economic growth.

Source: Daryo

Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkmenistan, and Romania Meet to Discuss Transit Route

According to a statement from the Turkmenistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, officials from Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Romania held a video conference on February 10 to work on a draft agreement seeking to advance a Caspian Sea-Black Sea international trading route. Such a route would allow for the shipment of Turkmen gas, in addition to other goods and resources,  as far as to Europe. 

Source: The Times of Central Asia

Tajikistan Looks for Alternative for to USAID Health Funding

With the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) now shuttered, Tajikistan is looking for potential replacement for the funds USAID had provided for the country’s health sector. At a recent press conference, Tajikistan’s Health Minister stated, “USAID has played a key role in the fight against HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria, as well as in maternal and child health. Until the agency’s future involvement is clarified, we intend to mobilize other resources.” Other organizations, such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, remains active within Tajikistan.

Source: The Times of Central Asia

Turkmenistan and Türkiye Sign Landmark Gas Deal

On February 11, Türkiye’s energy minister, Alparslan Bayraktar, stated that Türkiye’s state-owned pipeline operator BOTAŞ and Turkmenistan’s Turkmengaz have reached a deal on the transportation of natural gas from Turkmenistan to Türkiye.  According to the agreement, Ankara could buy up to 2 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas per year. The deal plans to begin the gas flow on March 1. The agreement, reached after 27 years of interest and negotiation, will diversify both Türkiye’s natural gas imports and Turkmenistan’s export markets.  The gas is expected to be transported via Iran's existing natural gas network. The representatives reportedly also agreed to continue discussions about constructing a Trans-Caspian pipeline for the more direct export westward of Turkmenistan’s natural gas.

Source: Reuters

Kazakhstan to Supply Swiss Nuclear Power Plants

Kazakhstan’s Kazatomprom, the state-run nuclear energy firm, has struck a deal with Switzerland’s Axpo Power AG and Kernkraftwerk Leibstadt AG (KKL AG) to supply uranium to two nuclear power plants in Switzerland. The moves come after Western governments, including Switzerland, have taken steps to downgrade their reliance on Russian uranium supplies, with Kazakhstan now looking to fill the opening in the market.

Source: Daryo

Kazakhstan Strikes Oil and Nuclear Energy Deal with Hungary

Kazakhstan and Hungary signed a deal on February 17 involving test shipments of Kazakh oil to Hungary through the Druzhba pipeline and collaboration on nuclear energy projects. Kazakhstan expressed particular interest in Hungary’s expertise in producing dry cooling towers. The deal comes following a meeting between the Kazakhstani energy minister and Hungarian minister of foreign affairs and trade. 

Source: Astana Times

Azerbaijan Becomes the First Muslim-Majority Country to Include Antisemitism Definition in School Curriculum

According to a new report by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se), a nonprofit organization that analyzes schoolbooks and curricula around the world, Azerbaijan has become the first Muslim-majority country to include a definition of antisemitism in its school textbooks. The report highlighted “promising progress and developments” in the changes made for the 2024-25 school year, with Judaism being “highly regarded in the textbooks” and some Biblical narratives included in the education system.

Source: The Algemeiner

 

Politics and Security

 

Armenian Parliament Moves Forward EU Bill

On February 12, Armenia’s parliament passed a piece of legislation tasking the government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to work with the European Union to develop an accession roadmap for Armenia. Armenia has historically been within Russia’s political and economic sphere of influence, but recent years have seen efforts on Yerevan’s part to pivot westward. Any EU accession program would require several years of reforms on Armenia’s part, including exiting the Eurasian Economic Union, Moscow’s preferred economic customs union.

Source: OC Media

Mirziyoyev Visits Kuwait

Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited Kuwait on February 17. As part of his visit, he held discussions with Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Sabah on issues including green energy, trade, agriculture, and other major topics, and reached an agreement on the establishment of an Uzbekistan-Kuwait Investment Platform and Business Council. Uzbekistan is slated to host a Central Asia-Gulf Cooperation Council summit this year in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.  

Source: Daryo

Azerbaijan Bars Russian Duma Member

Azerbaijan has banned Russian State Duma member Nikolai Valuev from entering the country following comments Azerbaijani officials deemed “offensive statements against Azerbaijan and our people.” Valuev had posted on social media in reaction to Azerbaijani officials shuttering a local Russian cultural center and described the Azerbaijani diaspora in Russia as “uncultured, primarily concerned with money, and criminal in nature.” This is not the first instance of Russian elites being banned from Azerbaijan but does come amidst a broader period of tensions in Russian-Azerbaijani relations.

Source: RFE/RL

Turkmenistan’s FM Travels to Tehran, Meets with Pezeshkian

During a February 12 meeting between Turkmenistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rashid Meredov, and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran, Iran, officials reiterated the two states’ desire to enhance bilateral cooperation is the areas of trade, energy, and infrastructure. Iran is slated to be a crucial player for Turkmen gas as Turkmenistan seeks to ship natural gas to Iraq and Türkiye via gas swaps. 

Source: Tehran Times

Elections in Abkhazia

On February 15, residents of Abkhazia, the Russian-occupied separatist-governed region of Georgia, voted in elections for the territory’s de facto leadership. Of the five initial candidates, Badra Gunba and Adgur Ardzinba will advance to the second round of voting to be held in the coming weeks. Gunba is the clear favorite of Moscow, who hosted him for high-level meetings in February. Russia has pushed aggressively for economic integration with the territory in recent months.

Source: JAM News