President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, during a trip to the Tashkent province on Thursday, commented on reports that the Shovvozsoy resort was built for the leadership of Uzbekistan.

On March 18, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived in Chinaz district of Tashkent province to get familiar with the work in the water resources sector, the presidential press service said.

An informal summit of Turkic-speaking countries will be held in Kazakhstan in late March. The council members are Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, with Hungary having an observer status.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is responding to on-going challenges for Uzbekistan’s real economy caused by the Covid-19 pandemic by providing financing to local small and medium-sized enterprises through local banks.

On March 16, the largest number of coronavirus cases was recorded in Uzbekistan in recent months - 115 people. On March 14, the largest number of COVID-19 cases in recent months was recorded in Uzbekistan - 111 people. The last time the daily increase of more than 110 people was observed in December last year.

The United States congratulates Uzbekistan on the successful arrival of 660,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines today. This shipment was made possible through the COVAX Advance Market Commitment, a global initiative to support equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.  The United States recently completed an initial $2 billion obligation—out of a total planned $4 billion— to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to support the COVAX Advance Market Commitment, making the U.S. the single largest donor to COVAX.

A branch of the Moscow Multifunctional Migration Center has opened in Tashkent, the Yashnabad district mayor’s office said.

On March 17, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev had a telephone conversation with the first President of Kazakhstan - Nursultan Nazarbayev, the presidential press service said.

Last night, Uzbekistan received the first batch of 660,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX program. Uzbekistan will receive a total of 2.64 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, with 35-40% due in Q1 of 2021. The remaining will be shipped from Q2 as they are produced and distributed around the world.

On March 16, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev hosted the President of LUKOIL Vagit Alekperov, the presidential press service said.

AI-Driven, Climate-Smart Beekeeping works with 20 women beekeepers in Uzbekistan to improve bee health and productivity, making local agriculture more resilient to climate change, collating vital indicators on food security, bee health, and environmental conditions.

On the night of March 17, Uzbekistan will accept the delivery of the 660 thousand doses of the Covishield (AstraZeneca) coronavirus vaccine from India, which is produced by the Indian Serum Institute under license, the Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health Authority reported.

The Central Bank announced the issue of memorial gold coins and a souvenir set dedicated to the 580th anniversary of the poet Alisher Navoi.

Military units of Uzbekistan and India conducted joint drill Friendship-II at Chaubatiya training center in Ranikhet, India, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

A group of experts from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) arrived in Uzbekistan on March 15 to conduct monitoring the safe operation of hydraulic structures, Dunyo reported.

Yesterday, representatives from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) participated in the opening of a Modern Communications Room at the Ministry of Innovative Development of Uzbekistan. This unique venue, established with support from USAID, will serve as a meeting space for both virtual and in-person conferences, workshops, and other occasions.

The Central Bank in a statement announced the accreditation of the representative office of Kyongnam Bank (Republic of Korea).

Today, Shavkat Mirziyoyev spoke to the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev over the phone, the presidential press service said.

European LGBTQ rights advocates and more than 40 human rights organizations have issued issued a joint statement calling on the government of Uzbekistan to repeal its laws criminalizing same-sex relations between men as part of its broader review of the nation’s Criminal Code.

Stories surfaced on social networks that the number of coronavirus cases has hiked in Uzbekistan, especially in Tashkent.