Business Reform Push: President Mirziyoyev unveiled a five-part plan in Khiva to spur business growth with nearly €1bn earmarked for finance, AI adoption, and exports, including a digital credit portal and new loan guarantee rules for smaller firms. Entrepreneurship & Trade Diplomacy: Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are preparing documents for a roadmap to lift bilateral trade to $1bn by 2030, with the 4th interregional forum set for Tashkent on Aug 22. Sports & International Hosting: Tashkent will host the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup (Oct 8–10) as the second leg of the “Silk Road Tour,” bringing 750+ swimmers to the Aquatic Palace. Regional Security/Foreign Policy Context: A new Washington Institute analysis says the Taliban logged 3,651 diplomatic engagements with 103 countries since 2021, with Iran, China, Türkiye, Qatar, and Uzbekistan among the top partners. Culture & Heritage Cooperation: Turkic World archaeologists met in Hungary to move ARICA cooperation into joint research projects, including plans for a unified digital heritage database. Language Policy Watch: Uzbekistan’s Latin alphabet reform debate is resurfacing after parliament approved a new version with 28 letters and one apostrophe. International Media Visits: Azerbaijani journalists toured Samarkand’s “Eternal City” complex, highlighting Uzbekistan’s ethnographic and craft offerings for tourism.