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Uzbekistan intends to expand deep processing of natural gas to produce high value-added products, rather than limiting its use to fuel for electricity generation. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced this on October 16 at an open dialogue with investors in the fuel and energy sector, stressing the economic value created by processing.
Kazakhstan is seeking closer cooperation with Belgium to develop the Middle Corridor, including a potential partnership between the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and the Caspian ports of Aktau and Kuryk, Euronews reports. Speaking at the Belgium-Kazakhstan Business Council, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said the partnership "could open wider markets for our metals, petrochemicals and agricultural products." The business forum resulted in 17 agreements covering logistics, agriculture, artificial intelligence, energy, healthcare and manufacturing.
Azerbaijan's extended chairmanship of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) until 2028 opens new opportunities for regional cooperation, security and joint economic projects, according to Ranokhon Tursunova, a professor at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy in Tashkent. She spoke to Day.az about the outcomes of the 7th CICA summit, held in Baku on 15 October.
A jubilee evening marking the 85th birthday of poet and publicist Garifjan Mukhammetshin was held at the Baltach Culture Center in Tatarstan, Russia. Titled "Feeling the Sorrow of the Native Land," the event was reported by the press service of the Tatarstan Writers' Union.
Azerbaijan will have four consecutive non-working days in November, Day.Az reports. This year, 8 November, Victory Day, falls on a Sunday. The following day, 9 November, is marked as State Flag Day and is also a non-working day.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan has urged China Energy International to make new investments in the water supply system of the Navoi region. The issue was discussed on October 16 at a meeting with the heads of Chinese companies CAMCE, China Energy and Sinoma Energy, and the chairman of the board of directors of Oman's Voltamp Energy, Sayyid Ayman Al Busaidi. The presidential press service reported the meeting.
Kyrgyzstan plans to build 115 kindergartens each year, with 240 places per facility, and to raise preschool coverage to 80% by 2030. The measures are part of the first stage of the Concept of Demographic Policy until 2040, which was discussed on 16 October at a meeting of the Council on Demographic Policy under the Cabinet, the Ministry of Social Labour reported.
Uzbekistan will for the first time develop a National Energy Development Master Plan through 2050 and publish it openly. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced this on October 16 at an open dialogue with investors in the fuel and energy sector.
Azerbaijan has held a series of meetings with representatives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other international financial institutions to discuss fiscal reforms, economic diversification and future investment cooperation. According to the Ministry of Finance, First Deputy Finance Minister Anar Karimov held the discussions on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank Group in Bangkok, Thailand.
Part of the electricity demand in Uzbekistan's Fergana, Andijan and Namangan regions is covered by generation in other parts of the country. Officials said the load on electricity grids will rise as new industrial zones and large enterprises are launched. The statement was made on 16 October at an open dialogue between President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and investors in the fuel and energy sector.
Kazakhstan's CPC Blend crude, which has historically sold below the Brent benchmark, now trades well above it. According to Oilprice, cited by Tengrinews.kz, CPC Blend was priced at $128 per barrel against $109.86 for Brent, a premium of about 16.5 percent. The reversal came in September 2026, and on some days in late September and October the gap exceeded $15–20 per barrel.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang met Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and said China is ready to ensure the quality implementation of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway project and to expand trade and economic cooperation with Tashkent. Li said Beijing wants to expand the presence of competitive Chinese companies in the Uzbek market and hopes Uzbekistan will continue to create favourable conditions for investment and business.
A monument to the Liberator Soldier in Shirovka village, Belebey district, Bashkortostan, is being renovated under the Supporting Local Initiatives programme. The surroundings are being tidied up and refreshed. Concrete curbs will be built and 22 granite slabs installed, engraved with the names of villagers who went to fight in the Great Patriotic War. Names of soldiers killed in the special military operation will also be commemorated, and an Eternal Flame is planned at the site.
An institute for the study of rare and critically important minerals is being set up in Ust-Kamenogorsk. Based on existing scientific laboratories, local specialists will work on improving technologies for extracting in-demand rare and rare-earth metals, particularly lithium, which is needed to produce batteries. The strategically important project is being carried out jointly with scientists from Belgium.
Azerbaijan expects to keep the manat at 1.70 to the US dollar through 2030. The Ministry of Economy has incorporated this rate into its macroeconomic projections for 2027–2030. According to the government, the stable manat has supported domestic demand, limited currency risks in financial and consumption decisions, and strengthened the national currency's position in household savings.
According to an investigation by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), Serbian state institutions transferred at least €111,700 to three associations in North Macedonia. Representatives of these associations openly support Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The funds were distributed through the Diaspora Office under Serbia's Foreign Ministry, mainly for projects on culture, Orthodox faith and the preservation of the Cyrillic alphabet.
Defence ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States discussed the development of military cooperation at a regular meeting of the Council of Defence Ministers in Cholpon-Ata, Issyk-Kul region, Kyrgyzstan. Uzbekistan's Minister of Defence, Major General Batyr Kudratkhodzhayev, took part. The Uzbek Ministry of Defence reported the meeting.
Restoration work is underway on the dome of the Khoja Ahmed Yasawi mausoleum in Turkestan, Khabar 24 reported, citing 24KZ. The dome, which had long been hidden under a protective frame, is now being repaired by specialists, who are restoring its unique glazed tile cladding. The main goal is to fully preserve the original architectural appearance of the ancient structure.
Worn heating networks and overloaded electrical substations in Almaty will be upgraded under the national Modernisation of Energy and Utilities Sectors (MEKS) project. According to the project's press service, the work will improve the reliability of heating and electricity supply, reduce outages and create capacity to connect new consumers.
NATO exercises in Baku have concluded, with the third meeting of the "Interoperability Initiative for Partner Countries" and a first-level self-assessment exercise taking place within the Partnership for Peace programme between Azerbaijan and NATO. Day.Az reported, citing Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defence, that the ministry announced the outcome.
Uzbekistan is preparing to launch a data center under construction on the territory of IT Park Uzbekistan. Minister of Digital Technologies Sherzod Shermatov discussed the project's progress and the timeline for commissioning the facility with DataVolt CEO Rajit Nanda.
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Azerbaijan holds the leading position in the South Caucasus by volume of strategic foreign currency reserves. According to the State Statistics Committee, the country's strategic reserves stood at $89.38 billion as of 30 September 2026. This amount is about 19.8 times the country's external public debt of $4.51 billion. The reserves are about 10.9 times Georgia's international reserves of $8.17 billion, announced in September, and 13.4 times Armenia's foreign currency reserves of $6.66 billion.
Over the past 10 years, Uzbekistan's trade turnover with Central Asian countries rose from $2.5 billion to nearly $8.5 billion. The region's mutual trade turnover reached nearly $11 billion. Javlon Vahobov says these figures show opportunities to deepen economic cooperation, including by strengthening ties among the seven regions of the Fergana Valley.
Tatarstan's health system is about 2,500 doctors short, officials said, with nine districts in critical condition. In three districts, hospitals are staffed with fewer than half the required doctors. The figures were presented at a weekly meeting chaired by Tatarstan's head, Rustam Minnikhanov, where 19,460 doctors were noted as currently working in the system.
Today's top Turkic news: Uzbekistan-China ties, Samarkand visit, Kulubaev-Rubio talks, Northern Cyprus festival and Turkmen desertification centre.
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