The number of foreign nationals who visited Uzbekistan in 2018 increased by 2.3 times compared to 2017 - 6.433 million against 2.847 million people. Last year, the number of Uzbekistan citizens who made foreign trips doubled - 13 million 838.6 thousand people against 6 million 823.4 thousand a year earlier, Statistics Committee reported.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the Introduction of New System of Organizing the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan Decree which has cut the number of deputy prime ministers from eight to five.

According to Uzbek Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Komil Rashidov, Tashkent will host the second consultative meeting of the Central Asian leaders in the spring of 2019.

Uzbek Deputy PM Alisher Sultanov met with executives of SOCAR and BP to outline further areas for advancing cooperation, Uzbekneftegaz said in a statement.

Uzbekistan ranks 158 out of 180 countries in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index 2018, with a score of 23, up from 22 in 2017 and neighbors with Eritrea, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Cambodia.

Elyor Ganiev, who worked as deputy adviser to the President, again became Deputy PM in charge of investments and foreign economic ties, sources in the Government told Tashkent Times replacing Sukhrob Kholmuradov.

Hotels will not be entitled to refuse guests who are suspected of "immoral behavior" and to call the police, said the First Deputy Chairman of the Tourism Committee Ulugbek Kasymhojaev.

The chairman of the Uzcharmsanoat (transl. Uz Leather Industry) Association, Sardor Umurzakov, has been appointed Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan, created from the merger of the Investments Committee and the Foreign Trade Ministry, a source in the government told the Tashkent Times.

The Board of the Central Bank of Uzbekistan on January 26 decided to keep the interest rate at 16% per annum, the Central Bank said. The decision was based on the need to keep anti-inflationary monetary policy course, keep positive real interest rates and cut inflation expectations.

For the first time, servicemen of a special forces unit of the Uzbek Defense Ministry are taking part in Southern Strike joint force exercises at Camp Shelby military base in Mississippi, the Uzbek Ministry of Defense said.

The Federal Customs Authority (FCA) of the Russian Federation plans to open its representative office in Uzbekistan, the first deputy chief of the FCA Ruslan Davydov announced.

Uzbek Deputy Foreign Minister Dilshod Akhatov met with the EU Special Representative for Central Asia Peter Burian Wednesday, who arrived in Tashkent to attend the EU – Central Asia conference on cooperation in the field of environment, climate change and water use, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Uzbekistan delegation led by the Defense Minister Abdusalam Azizov will visit the United States on January 26-30 at the invitation of the US authorities, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said.

Uzbekistan has prepared US$ 60 million worth of 19 projects as part of the Multi-partner Trust Fund for Human Security for the Aral Sea region, part of which to be used for planting a forest on the dried bottom of the Aral Sea, the Deputy PM/Chairman of the Investments Committee Sukhrob Holmuradov said on Thursday.

Hotels may be entitled to refuse to allow guests if there is suspicion that the guests may be involved in "immoral behavior." The draft amendment to the Rules of Provision of Hotel Services, including this item, was proposed by the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan and was published for consultation.

The UK-based Acumen Education is intending to open a network of affordable private schools and one premium-class school in Uzbekistan together with MBU Capital, an investment company, the Uzbek Ministry of Public Education said.

On the second day of the official visit to Germany, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited Munich and met with the Minister President of Bavaria, Markus Söder.

The Ministry of Public Education of Uzbekistan and UNESCO are launching a joint project to prevent bullying in schools in Uzbekistan. Deputy Minister of Public Education of Uzbekistan, Atabek Nazirov, received Ms. Pilara Alvarez-Laso, Acting Head of UNESCO Country Office in Uzbekistan, at the Ministry of Public Education. In December 2018, the Ministry awarded Ms. Pilar Alvarez-Laso a badge “Talim Homiysi” (Education Sponsor).

By 2021, Uzbekistan intends to increase agricultural exports up to US$ 5 billion, the Foreign Trade Minister Jamshid Khodjayev speaking at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture in Berlin.

The Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will make 36 foreign trips this year, the chair of the international press club Sherzod Kudrathujayev announced.