The Korea Republic has contributed US$ 1 million to the UN Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea region in Uzbekistan. An agreement to this effect was signed between the government of the Republic of Korea and the Foundation's office in New York on December 17.

On December 23, 2020, political consultations between the Foreign Ministries of Uzbekistan and Japan were held in the form of a video conference, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Uzbek and Russian officials are still in talks over the common terms agreement for the first nuclear power plant project in Uzbekistan, UzAtom said in a statement.

Uzbek authorities should halt attempts to criminalize sharing allegedly false information and ensure that journalists can operate freely without fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

UzAuto Motors, following the efforts with the American automaker GM, received the build in quality certificate BIQ4, the company said.

On December 23, the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a meeting to discuss the effectiveness of the policies to boost investment and foreign trade and the main tasks for 2021.

Japan donated 800 million yen (US$ 7.3 million) worth of road construction equipment to Uzbekistan as part of the government's Economic and Social Development Program.

Infectious diseases hospital with 200 beds, built jointly with Uzbekistan, was commissioned in Batken province of Kyrgyzstan, the Ministry of Health said.

The world-renowned Code.org platform has started collaborating with IT Park. The main aim of the joint cooperation is to open the doors of opportunities of the IT world for the children.

The Uzbek Ministry for ICTs Development and the Ministry of Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on setting up of an Uzbek-Korean expert group in the field of e-government and digital economy.

Olivier Norman, a water resources management expert, has been appointed adviser to the Minister of Housing and Utilities and will be in charge of provision of drinking water to villages, the Ministry reported.

The Tashkent State Dental Institute will open a branch at ADEMA dental school of the University of the Balearic Islands in Mallorca (Spain), the Uzbek Ministry of Health said.

On December 22, the Courtyard by Marriott Tashkent Hotel opened in Tashkent’s Yakkasaray district. This is the first hotel of the Marriott International hotel chain, which has over 1100 hotels in more than 50 countries, Dunyo said.

On December 21, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a telephone conversation with President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the press service of the Uzbek leader said.

On December 21, during the working trip of the Foreign Minister A. Kamilov to Moscow, he held talks with his Russian counterpart S. Lavrov.

The Minister of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Jamshid Kuchkarov and Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Lee Yong signed a joint declaration for 2020-2024, the Ministry said in a statement.

The Prosecutor General's Office of Russia satisfied the requests of the Prosecutor General's Office of Uzbekistan for the extradition of citizens for criminal prosecution, the Russian supervisory authority said.

On December 21, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the Uzbekistan's accession to the International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures (Kyoto, May 18, 1973, as amended on June 26, 1999) Bill into Law. The Bill was passed by the Legislative Chamber on December 4 and approved by the Senate on December 19.

From December 21 to January 10, Uzbekistan will suspend international flights, including inbound, outbound and transit, with the UK, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Austria, Australia, the Netherlands and South Africa. This decision was made by the Special Republican Anti-Coronavirus Commission, due to the detection of a new strain of COVID-19 and the difficult epidemiological situation in these countries.

Turkish police have detained journalist Abdukarim Mirzayev. The graduate degree student in journalism at the University of Kastamonu was arrested on December 11.