Four Uzbekistan citizens were detained by U.S. border forces in the state of Arizona while illegally crossing the border from Mexico on Wednesday.

The President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed a number of amendments to the Constitution at an event dedicated to the Constitution Day of Uzbekistan.

On December 8, Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov made remarks at the second Italy-Central Asia ministerial meeting. Abdulaziz Kamilov underscored that Uzbekistan welcomes Italy's growing interest in Central Asia. Uzbekistan authorities believe that this format has significant potential for enhancing multifaceted and sustainable cooperation between Italy and the countries of the region.

A group of US Senators has asked U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to focus on human rights in the upcoming Strategic Partnership Dialogue between the United States and Uzbekistan. The letter dated December 6 was signed by the Chair of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Bob Menendez and five other Democratic Party members, Senators Chris Van Hollen, Dick Durbin, Kirsten Gillibrand, Sherrod Brown, and Ben Cardin.

301,860 doses of the Pfizer vaccine were delivered on December 6 to Uzbekistan to fight COVID-19. This Pfizer vaccineshipment is part of the United States Government donation of 1.1 billion safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for the world through the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX).

Today, the Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov met with the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, the Foreign Ministry said.

Uzbekistan was added to the list of priority partners to support the development in the countries of Central Asia, the Director General of the Department for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland Marya Liivala said.

The President Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the 15th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization in Ashgabat on November 28. At the summit, Uzbekistan took over the chairmanship of the organization for 2022 from Turkmenistan. Uzbekistan will chair the ECO for the first time. He made remarks at the Summit:

The Prime Ministers of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan Abdulla Aripov and Askar Mamin held talks as part of the third Forum of Inter-Provinces Cooperation between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, which took place on November 26 in Turkestan city, the press service of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan said.

Austria donated 150 thousand AstraZeneca vaccine shots to Uzbekistan to combat COVID-19, Dunyo news agency reported.

Today, the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev hosted the visiting Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) Kunio Mikuriya, the presidential press service said.

The Kazakh company, Astana Motors, is considering the construction of a plant for the production of Hyundai cars in Uzbekistan. This was announced on November 26 to the III Forum of Interregional Cooperation between the countries by the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin.

Today, Ms. Matilda Dimovska, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Uzbekistan, H.E. Mr. Yoshinori Fujiyama, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Uzbekistan and Mr. Yu Yu, Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Uzbekistan paid a visit to the Republic of Karakalpakstan.

The President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will pay a working visit to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on November 28 to attend the 15th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization, the presidential press service said.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a US$161 million loan to help develop an integrated wastewater management system in Tashkent Province in Uzbekistan that will improve access to reliable water supply and sanitation services.

On November 25, in the Bostanlyk district of the Tashkent province, the Pskem river bed was blocked for the construction of the Pskem hydroelectric power station, the Gazeta.uz correspondent reports. During construction, which is being carried out by the Uzbekhydroenergo company, the water of the river will pass through an underground tunnel about 10 km long.

On November 24, a delegation of the Tajik National Guard headed by the commander of the guard, Lieutenant General Bobojon Jamolzoda, paid a maiden official visit to Uzbekistan.

The Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to sign from the Russian side an agreement between the governments of Uzbekistan and Russia on the opening of representative offices of the customs authorities of the two countries.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) signed a new program of cooperation in Central Asia for 2022-2025 with the ministries of foreign affairs of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan on Wednesday in Tashkent.

Uzbekistan Airports, on the initiative of the Ministry of Transport, is creating a subsidiary airline Silk Avia for domestic flights. The new carrier plans to launch flights next year, Uzbekistan Airports said.