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Migrants from Uzbekistan are facing difficulties when entering Russia, due to which Uzbekistan's embassy in Russia has sent an appeal to Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Citizens are complaining about excessive additional checks by airport services. According to the embassy, there has been an increase in complaints by Uzbek citizens to the diplomatic mission's call center about difficulties entering the country, or transiting through Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport. Following the terrorist attack at Moscow's Crocus City Hall on March 22nd, which citizens of Tajikistan stand accused or perpetrating, there has been an increase in reports of Central Asian citizens facing difficulties entering Russia. A Moscow official has explained this is due to increased security measures nationwide.
Uzbekistan has ratified the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention No. 156, ensuring equal opportunities and rights for male and female workers with family responsibilities, Gazeta.uz reports. The country's president Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a law ratifying this convention, which guarantees equal treatment and opportunities for all workers, regardless of their family obligations. The main objective of ILO Convention No. 156 is to create conditions under which working men and women with family responsibilities can perform paid work without facing discrimination while successfully combining professional and familial obligations. The Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan, the upper house of parliament, when considering the law on ratification, emphasized that all the requirements of the Convention have already been fully implemented in the country's national legislation. To date, 45 out of 187 ILO member states, including Norway, Sweden, Spain, France, Japan, South Korea, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan, have ratified the Convention.
On 21 June, it was announced that the Uzbekistan is the first country in the world to receive payment from the World Bank for reducing carbon emissions through a policy crediting program. The pioneering project known as the Innovative Carbon Resource Application for Energy Transition (iCRAFT) was designed to support Uzbekistan in implementing energy efficiency measures, phasing out energy subsidies, and transitioning to cleaner energy sources. Under the iCraft project, the World Bank awarded Uzbekistan a $7.5 million grant for cutting 500,000 tons of carbon emissions. Congratulating the country on this significant achievement, Marco Mantovanelli, the World Bank Country Manager for Uzbekistan, said: “This initiative is the world’s first to leverage climate finance in support of policy reform. The iCRAFT project aims to transition from individual transactions to program-level carbon trade interventions. We are eager to see how this pilot can set a precedent for reforms in other sectors in Uzbekistan and for other countries to follow its example.” Jamshid Kuchkarov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan, highlighted the significance of this climate finance transaction: “The first payment transferred under the iCRAFT Project marks a key step for Uzbekistan towards reducing energy subsidies and achieving cost recovery in the energy sector. It also contributes to the government’s broader efforts for a green economy to foster economic growth and reduce poverty.” The payment is the first of several anticipated payments under the Emissions Reduction Payment Agreement (ERPA) concluded between the government of Uzbekistan and the World Bank as part of the iCRAFT Project. Under the agreement, Uzbekistan could receive up to $20 million in grants for verified emission reductions or carbon credits generated through its energy subsidy reforms. Uzbekistan aims to reduce 60 million tons of CO2, with iCRAFT set to purchase approximately 2.5 million tons of CO2. Using systems and processes established by iCraft, the country can sell the remaining carbon credits on international carbon markets.
China Xiaou Group intends to launch a large automobile manufacturing complex in the Ferghana region of Uzbekistan, the Khokimiyat (regional authority) of the Ferghana press service has reported. The agreement on constructing a large automobile complex with China Xiaou Group for $1.5 billion, at the expense of direct Chinese investments, was signed during a visit by a delegation of officials and businessmen from the Ferghana region to China. It is reported that in the first stage of the project, a $50 million investment is planned to set up production lines for 60,000 electric, hybrid, and special cars per year. In the second phase, $350 million will be invested, and $1.1 billion in the third phase. Most of the components will be localized, and the number of cars produced will be increased to 110,000 per year. The project is planned to be fully completed within five years.
Construction of a nuclear power plant has begun in Uzbekistan, 55 km from the border with Kazakhstan, near Tuzkon Lake in the Jizzakh region. The main contractor for this project is Rosatom, Russia's state-owned nuclear energy company. Uzbek companies are also participating. More than three million residents of Turkestan and Shymkent live near the planned site of the nuclear power plant. “The Russian reactor RITM-200N will be used at the new power plant," the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan stated. "The reactor, an adaptation of marine technology for land-based use, has a thermal output of 190 MW and an electrical output of 55 MW with a lifespan of up to 60 years. RITM-200 reactors are used on Russian icebreakers. Reactor safety is ensured by multi-level protection systems that prevent accidents.” Uzbekistan and Russia have been holding discussions on the NPP project since 2017. In 2019, a site near Tuzkon Lake was chosen for its development. In addition to a large nuclear power plant, there are plans to build small modular reactors with a total capacity of 330 MW.
At a government meeting on June 19, plans to further develop Uzbekistan’s jewellery industry, support production and increase exports were presented to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Noting the country’s huge potential for increasing the production and export of jewellery, the president said that just 6 percent of the gold mined in Uzbekistan is processed, and exports of finished products from gold amount to only $78 million. He thus emphasized the importance of creating jewellery zones equipped to attract entrepreneurs, a review of supplies of raw materials to the industry, and training specialists in the field. With reference to the above, the head of state issued instructions for a program to be developed to enhance the domestic jewellery industry until 2027. The meeting also discussed piloting special jewellery centres with production, exhibition and trading areas in Tashkent and the Namangan region. The government is considering establishing, until October 1, 2026, a zero rate of customs duty and value added tax on equipment, packaging and labelling materials used, but not produced, in Uzbekistan in the jewellery industry. An additional proposal was mooted to establish a zero-customs duty rate for the export of Uzbek jewellery to the USA. In January-March 2024, Uzbekistan exported gold worth $2.66 billion. In the first quarter of the year, revenues from gold exports comprised 41.7% of the country’s total exports. In 2023, gold exports accounted for 33.4%, or $8.1 billion, of Uzbekistan’s total export volume.
