The UK has sanctioned Alisher Usmanov’s USM holding and two linked companies, Curzon Square and Hanley, due to their ties to the Russian government and strategic sectors. Two Cypriot nationals connected to Usmanov and Roman Abramovich also face sanctions.
The US Treasury Department has sanctioned Uzbekistan’s Akhangarancement JSC and Alisher Usmanov-linked Akkermann Cement CA over concerns of potential sanction circumvention. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a license to wind down transactions with these companies until July 11.
President Mirziyoyev introduces an initiative to support youth by categorizing them as “good,” “medium,” or “heavy” based on their state support needs. Officials will be directly assigned to “heavy” category youths, aiding in vocational training, job placement, and financial resource access.
President Mirziyoyev approved a public-private partnership program for the modernization of heating systems in Uzbekistan’s social facilities. In 2023, 500 billion soums are planned to be allocated for the modernization program, with 50% designated for the Fergana Valley regions.
A working group from Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Energy visited the Kadamjay district of Kyrgyzstan to commence restoration work on the North Sokh underground gas storage facility.
Uzbek President proposed to build a car plant in Syrdarya region jointly with partners from China. “The more car plants, the lower the price will be, and the quality will also improve,” said Shavkat Mirziyoyev. In Syrdarya, businesses will also take part in building roads.
After a three-month hiatus, Central Bank resumed releasing data on inflation expectations for households and businesses. In January, household expectations reached 18.9%, and businesses 18.7%, marking the highest levels since July 2020. By March, expectations significantly decreased to 14.1−14.4%.
Nozim Khusanov has been removed from his position as First Deputy Minister of Employment and Poverty Reduction of Uzbekistan. The reason for his dismissal remains undisclosed. Khusanov previously served as Minister of Employment and Labour Relations.
The President signed legislation aimed at protecting women and minors from violence, according to Saida Mirziyoyeva. The legislation not only criminalizes domestic abuse, harassment, and stalking, but also precludes those convicted of sexual violence from receiving parole or leniency in sentencing.
The European Investment Bank approved $83.6 million loan for Uzbekistan’s solar energy program, implemented by UAE’s Masdar. Partnering with ADB, AIIB, and EBRD, EIB’s contribution forms part of a $396.4 million package to construct and operate three PV plants with a total capacity of nearly 900 MW.
Uzbek President has approved an additional allocation of 1.3 trillion soums to finance 1,309 citizen-led initiatives via the Open Budget platform. These are the projects that received more than 2,000 votes but did not win the vote.
The President of Uzbekistan signs a decree bolstering football development, with emphasis on youth engagement, transforming football schools into academies, and tapping into international expertise from countries like Japan and Croatia.
In Uzbekistan, those convicted of fraud by stealing billions from people or the government serve only a third of their sentence, are released and continue spending the “stashed money,” Senator Shukhrat Chulliyev said. Under the new amendments, they will now “serve from call to call,” he said.
Uzbek Senate approves legislative amendments aimed at combating corruption, introducing a new term “corruption offences” and increasing penalties for those crimes. The move is aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability.
Uzbekistan’s reserve assets reached $35.44 billion in April, driven by a 4.3% increase in gold reserves during March, while foreign currency reserves experienced minor growth. The primary factor behind the expansion was a $1.41 billion surge in gold value, totaling $24.25 billion.
Antony Blinken stated in Tashkent that war in Ukraine could be ended with one decision by Putin. He also shared his thoughts on what kind of peace could be considered just in this conflict and accused China of advancing Russian propaganda and supporting its interests in international organizations.
The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on the need of diversifying trade and increasing cooperation among Central Asian countries. He also commended the work of governments of the region in preventing circumvention of sanctions against Russia.
The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to journalists in Tashkent and noted the need for an independent and open media environment to deal with foreign propaganda and misinformation. “Let people make up their minds about what’s right and wrong,” he said.
Gross domestic product of Uzbekistan grew by 7.8% during last year.
President of Uzbekistan sent condolences to President of UAE in connection with the death of representatives of this country’s mission in Kandahar.
Sign up for additional features