Over two hundred IT experts discussed the prospects for artificial intelligence and technological entrepreneurship in the region. The ambition is not only to be users, but to develop local skills capable of competing in the innovation market.

The trade agreements signed at the White House on rare earths and other sectors seem to focus more on US economic interests than on geopolitical balances. And even the Kremlin, which in the past had shown some impatience with these contacts, this time expressed great acquiescence.

With Russia's doors increasingly closed due to nationalist tensions, nurses, labourers and bricklayers are now looking to Germany thanks to agreements signed by Berlin with the government in Tashkent. Meanwhile, the Uzbek population is set to reach 40 million, with a severe shortage of jobs at home.

One of the consequences of rapid urbanisation is the proliferation of huge landfills in contexts where only a small percentage of waste is recycled. In Tajikistan alone, over 2 million tonnes of waste accumulate every year, occupying a total of over 300 hectares of land.

At the Dushanbe summit, discussions developed on the route that would directly connect Russia to India and Iran. Moscow is unable to offer Central Asia the large investments that China and Europe can, but it is trying to catch up in terms of transport and logistics infrastructure.

From the FIFA president to Jennifer Lopez and Andrea Bocelli, the list of international personalities honoured in Tashkent is growing. Uzbekistan is also seeking to exercise a form of soft power at the international level, invariably associating the Mirziyoyev family members with these “personalities”.