Through Central Asian countries, Beijing is fast realising its dream of connecting nations from Pakistan to Poland to China and reviving the ancient Great Silk Road, outpacing both the US and Russia.
The election is the first in the nation of 33 million since Mirziyoyev took power in late 2016 following the death of strongman Islam Karimov, who had run the former Soviet republic as a police state for 27 years.
If the Uzbek president wants genuine reform of religious freedoms in the country, he faces a steep uphill battle.
Uzbek authorities oppose Karimova’s extradition to the US because she knows too much about top Uzbek officials, including President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who served as prime minister in her father’s government, an analyst said.
The Turkish president arrived in Tashkent on Monday for a three-day official visit to the former Soviet central Asian nation.
The former Soviet republic is seeking to raise its international profile as part of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's plan to open the country up and attract foreign investment after decades of isolation.
After nearly two decades of highs and lows in bilateral relations, Uzbek President Mirziyoyev's "historic" Ankara visit represents a new period centered on security and economic cooperation.
Turkey seeks to forge new bi-literal relations with Uzbekistan based on mutual economic and security interests
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's 2-day official visit to Turkey is first by Uzbek leader in nearly 20 years.
Voters in Kyrgyzstan head to polls to choose the next president who will shape the country's policies in Central Asia, a region where conflicting interests are at play 26 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The nation could've fallen into disarray – but it didn't. And superpowers want stability in the energy-rich hotspot.
Established in 1989 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan is on the verge of electing its second president since its independence.
Subscribe to our Youtube channel for all latest in-depth, on the ground reporting from around the world.
Copyright © 2021 TRT World.