CIS

Uzbekistan's State Security Service (SSS) announced the interception of an attempt to smuggle gold bars into Kyrgyzstan in the Fergana Region. In a joint rapid operation conducted by the SSS Directorate for Fergana Region and customs officials, a Damas vehicle driven by a 30-year-old resident of Fergana District was inspected. The individual had arrived at the "Vodil-avto" border customs post with the intention of crossing into Kyrgyzstan.

The Chinese government is set to allocate over 424 million yuan for the construction of infrastructure for Tajikistan's Border Troops as part of a three-phase project. Exchange letters for the second phase have already been signed. The Tajik side is exempting the construction from taxes and duties, facilitating the cooperation.

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signed a decree on March 10 dismissing Emergency Minister Urmatbek Shamykankov from his post. Shamykankov had been appointed to the position in early February, meaning his tenure lasted less than a month.

Economic ties between Uzbekistan and Russia are expanding based on new agreements, but this process is accompanied by a series of problems and difficulties. Although trade volume between the two countries has continued to grow in recent years, external political factors and economic complexities are impacting the effectiveness of cooperation.

An incident involving an attack on employees of the water supply organization "Suv ta'minoti" occurred in the Fergana Region. During a scheduled raid, a group of citizens assaulted water supply specialists, resulting in injuries to two employees: an inspector documenting violations and the head of the customer service department. Additionally, serious damage was inflicted on one service vehicle.

The Belarusian government has officially confirmed its readiness to serve as a strategic partner for Uzbekistan in the ambitious project to construct a nuclear power plant (NPP). President Alexander Lukashenko, during a meeting with Uzbekistan's Ambassador to Minsk, Rahmatulla Nazarov, stated that Belarus is prepared to transfer its accumulated technologies and organize comprehensive training for Uzbek specialists.

Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov participated in the meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) on March 7. The meeting was organized by Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, with Saidov expressing gratitude for the timely arrangement and emphasizing the importance of strengthening unity in the Turkic world amid contemporary challenges.

In the Namangan region of Uzbekistan, a tax inspector was apprehended while receiving a partial bribe of $20,000. The official, from the Fergana district, had demanded a total of $101,000 from a Namangan-based entrepreneur in exchange for assistance in allocating 10 hectares of agricultural land from the local government's reserve for the construction of a tourism facility.

Discussions on bilateral relations and future cooperation paths between Uzbekistan and the Russian Federation took place in Tashkent. The meeting, organized with participation from representatives of Uzbekistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Russian embassy in Uzbekistan, addressed issues related to the development of political, economic, and cultural ties between the two countries.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated he had visited the eastern front line as Ukraine and Russia completed a two-day prisoner-of-war swap, exchanging 500 soldiers each. The exchange, which included 200 soldiers each on Thursday and another 300 each on Friday, occurred while US-brokered peace negotiations remained deadlocked, with a planned trilateral meeting this week shelved due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Two Ukrainian civilians were also returned home.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov announced at a joint press conference in Baku with Moldova's Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi that the country has decided to evacuate its diplomatic missions in Iran.