NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — Economic growth in Kazakhstan remained robust in the first half of 2019, despite a slowdown in oil production driven by capital repairs in major fields, while a strong pick-up of activity was recorded in manufacturing, services, and construction, an International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team said in a statement following its visit to Kazakhstan during July 9-16 to review the country’s developments, prospects, risks, and policies.

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TASHKENT (TCA) — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is supporting private-sector led economic growth in Afghanistan by hosting a week-long workshop “Facilitating Trade, Promoting Economic Growth,” to promote trade between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, the US Embassy in Tashkent said on July 18.

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URUMQI, Xinjiang (TCA) — A new cargo air route was launched this week linking Urumqi, the capital of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent, China’s Xinhua news agency reported.

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NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin and Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov, on July 17 in Kazakhstan’s Mangystau region, attended the opening ceremony of the international highway Beineu–Akzhigit–the border of Uzbekistan.

Mamin congratulated on the opening of traffic on this international motor road and stressed the importance of the event for the development of the transport infrastructure of Central Asia, increasing trade volumes, and taking advantage of the region’s transit potential, the press service of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan reported.

The opening of this road is a symbol of the intensive development of strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Mamin said, adding that “it is deeply symbolic that this project started in the Year of Kazakhstan in Uzbekistan”.

According to the head of Kazakh Government, in recent years, relations between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have reached a qualitatively new level and have acquired a steady positive trend. This is confirmed by the annual growth in bilateral trade, which amounted to $3 billion last year. Since the beginning of this year, there has been a positive growth trend.

Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov spoke about the strategic importance of the event for the two neighboring fraternal countries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

“The successful implementation of this project will give a new impetus to the Silk Road trade flows and the development of our entire region,” said Aripov, adding that “this highway is, first of all, of great importance for the further activation of trade and economic relations between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.”

SHYMKENT, Kazakhstan (TCA) — A court in Kazakhstan on July 17 sentenced a labor union leader to seven years in prison after finding him guilty of embezzlement, a case he called politically motivated, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reported.

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