Regional Diplomacy: Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi traveled to Moscow for the next Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan, with talks expected to cover political and economic ties, terrorism and drug trafficking, and with Uzbekistan among the expected participants. Water Security: Uzbekistan’s water leadership again stressed that Central Asia’s water challenge can’t be solved unilaterally, calling for cooperation, trust, accurate measurement and shared responsibility across the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins. Judicial Cooperation: India’s Chief Justice Surya Kant met Uzbekistan’s Supreme Court chair Robakhon Makhmudova in Tashkent, discussing bilateral judicial cooperation and the use of AI and digital tools in courts. Transport & Connectivity: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and the UAE signed an MoU to study a new rail corridor linking Central Asia through Afghanistan to Pakistan’s seaports, while Afghanistan also opened the Wakhan Corridor Road for direct trade with China. Regional Politics & Economy: Commentary pieces highlight Uzbekistan–Turkmenistan strategic partnership as a stability pillar and argue that political trust is increasingly translating into economic gains. Sports & Soft Power: The Asian Games closed in Japan with China topping the medal table and Uzbekistan finishing among the top teams, while Uzbekistan also hosted major chess and cultural events.