The Minister of State for Europe and the Americas at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office of Great Britain, MP, Alan Duncan will visit Uzbekistan on 16 April to attend the Uzbek-UK talks, Uzbek Foreign Ministry said.

The aviation authorities of Uzbekistan and Georgia have successfully completed the several-months long talks on the launch of direct flights between the countries, and as early as July 16, Uzbekistan Airways will start operating the first Tashkent-Tbilisi flight since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Saida Mirziyoyeva, the elder daughter of the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, was today introduced as deputy director of the Agency for Information and Mass Communications under the Presidential Administration at the agency’s BOD meeting, the agency said.

Honorary Consulate of Finland opened in Tashkent Thursday. The opening ceremony was attended by Under Secretary of State for External Economic Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland Markku Keinänen and Ambassador of Finland to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan (stationed in Helsinki) Maria Liiva, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said.

The former first Deputy Finance Minister Akhadbek Haydarov, 47, has been appointed the Director of the State-Owned Assets Management Agency replacing Nodir Juraev, the agency said.

The Tashkent city mayor, Jahongir Ortiqhojaev, responded to an article on demolitions in the city, published on The Guardian.

Joint command and staff drill is being held in Fergana, Andijan and Namangan provinces as of April 9-13 aimed at precise performance of joint actions by all components of the armed and special forces.

The State Labor Inspection Authority launched a probe into the forced labour case involving teachers and pupils of school No. 7 in Izboskan district of the Andijan province.

In the last 2 years such cases of forced labour still occur but at significantly less frequency. The Teacher Status draft bill has been prepared, which proposes to prohibit forced labor of teachers (? forced labour is already prohibited by the law – Ed.) and collecting money from them for a newspaper subscription.

The draft bill states that it is not allowed to force teachers to any form of labor, including sweeping streets and planting trees, collecting scrap metal and waste paper, seasonal work in agriculture and others.

In addition, the Ministry of Public Education launched a special service Ustoz Ovozi (Teacher's Voice)- virtual inspector to receive complaints from teachers.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev hosted the visiting U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad, the Presidential press service said.

The new President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has accepted the invitation of the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and will visit Uzbekistan on a two-day state visit, the Presidential press service said.

The United States, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Yuksalish Nationwide Movement and the Civil Society Development Association (ARGO) of Kazakhstan launched the “Partnership for Innovations” program and a new co-working center at the office of Yuksalish.  The new co-working center is a place where staff from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other civil society institutions can meet, share information, and work together in an effort to improve civil society in Uzbekistan.

Non-residential real estate on 4.5 hectares in Tashkent province's Kumushkon area, which formerly belonged to Akbar Abdullaev, have been put up for auction, UzA said.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev today hosted the UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future Mohammad Abdulla Al Gergawi, the presidential press service said.

Patokh Chodiev through his International Chodiev Foundation, will provide 40 billion soums, or US$ 4.75 mln, for the development of the Syrdarya province, the provincial governor’s office said.

At a workshop yesterday in Tashkent, scientists presented findings demonstrating the negative impacts of climate change on water quality in the Amu Darya river basin.  The research project, “Provision of Science Based Evidence on Climate Induced Water Quality Challenges in Amu Darya Basin,” was conducted by the Central Asia Regional Environmental Center (CAREC) in collaboration with West Virginia University through the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) program.

Special tactical drill will be held in the Jizzakh province on April 22-27 with the participation of the military of the Pakistani and Turkish armed forces, the Uzbek Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Chief staff talks were held in Yerevan as part of preparation of a Ararat-Antiterror-2019 joint drill by the relevant authorities of the CIS member states, the CIS anti-terrorism center reported.

Participants from 25 countries are attending the 15th Procurement, Integrity, Management and Openness (PRIMO) Forum that started today in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Since 2005 the event has been serving as a platform for exchanging knowledge and experiences in public procurement reform and is hosted on an annual basis by one of the states in the Europe and Central Asia region.

Ozbekiston Pochtasi (Uzbekistan Post) were held talks with the representatives of Italian Doxee S.P.A. The parties discussed the issue of phased modernization of the Uzbekistan’s postal infrastructure thorugh investment and innovation.

Uzbekistan Airways received the second of the two ordered Airbus A320 Neo aircrafts, which landed at the Tashkent airport on the evening of April 9, the carrier said in a statement. The first aircraft arrived on March 11 and is now operating on an international flight.