Uzbekistan plans to abolish criminal penalties for illicit production, storage, import or distribution of religious materials, this was stated in the draft of the new Criminal Code.

On February 23, Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov, who arrived in Kabul on a working visit, was hosted by the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, the Foreign Ministry said.

On February 22, the Cabinet of Ministers issued a resolution, which invalidated 1,887 government decisions issued between 1990-2020. In 2020, a presidential decree was adopted, which canceled about 500 documents.

On February 22, the "scientific and practical evidence of the efficiency and safety" of the Sino-Uzbek vaccine was presented to the parliament, the First Deputy Minister of Innovation Shahlo Turdikulova said in a comment to the Uzbekistan 24 TV channel.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) handed over medical equipment to 12 healthcare facilities in the Syrdarya, to assist the region in its fight against tuberculosis (TB). Representatives of the USAID Mission to Uzbekistan, National Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases Center, and the Syrdarya Regional Health Administration participated in the ceremony. The equipment, including electronic thermometers, stethoscopes, tonometers, and otoscopes, will help healthcare providers in the region deliver efficient and timely care, provide rapid diagnosis, and treat patients with chronic illnesses.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) handed over 206 minivans and 17 refrigerated trucks to the Uzbek Ministry of Health on Tuesday to preserve the quality of vaccines and transport them safely, the UNICEF office in Uzbekistan said.

After reports that many of the US military who had served at the Karshi-Khanabad military base were exposed to radiation and some had tumours, the Ministry of Defense organized a press tour to the airfield. Servicemen who were interviewed by reporters dismissed allegations of existence of radiation sources.

The new version of the draft Criminal Code, published by the Prosecutor General's Office, provides for criminal liability for obstruction of a journalist's activities.

From March 1, passengers of Uzbekistan Airways will be able to use a new online check-in service, the company said in a statement.

The draft new version of the Criminal Code, published for public input, proposes harsher liability for corruption-related crimes. In particular, the Code provides for by one and a half times longer sentence terms for corruption offenses.

The Transport Minister Ilkhom Makhkamov became the CEO of Uzbekistan Airways and will now combine the two positions.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Partnership for Innovation Program teamed up with PartnersGlobal to facilitate a week-long virtual exchange on ‘Good Governance and Civic Engagement’ that began today. Participants include members of Public Councils, State Administration, Parliament, and civil society organizations from Uzbekistan and the United States.

Uzbekistan Airways has announced the resumption of the Tashkent to Delhi regular flights, the company said in a statement. Reportedly, flights will be operated twice a week from March 5 this year on Tuesdays and Fridays:

Rano Juraeva has been appointed the CEO of Uzbekistan Airports, announced Aziza Umarova, a member of the supervisory board of Uzbekistan Airports.

On February 23, the Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov will pay a working visit to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said.

The President Shavkat Mirziyoyev made remarks for the 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Shavkat Mirziyoyev outlined the priorities of democratic transformations in Uzbekistan and the country's interaction within the council.

On February 16, the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the International Commercial Arbitration Bill into Law. The document was passed by the Legislative Chamber on August 5 and approved by the Senate on September 11.

The United Nations Development Program, with financial support from the Government of Japan, provided technical assistance to the Makhalla and Family Support Ministry in creating digital infrastructure and services needed to support socially vulnerable groups, the press service of the UNDP in Uzbekistan said.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the Amendments and Addenda to the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes. According to the amendments made to the Criminal Procedure Code, from the moment of actual arrest or the actual completion of the operational-search measures related to detention, a person is provided with a private meeting with a defense lawyer prior to carrying out the related procedural actions.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a new version of the foreign policy concept and the planned visits. At a briefing held at the national press center on February 19, Deputy Foreign Minister Furqat Siddiqov spoke about the changes in the foreign policy concept in the new edition and outlined the priority areas.