On July 4, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan took part in the 17th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), which was held in Khankendi under the chairmanship of the President of Azerbaijan.
The summit was attended by heads of state and government of SCO member states, including Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, as well as representatives of Afghanistan, international organizations, and business circles of the region.
The participants discussed prospects for deepening multilateral cooperation and exchanged views on key issues on the international and regional agenda.
At the beginning of his speech, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev outlined the current challenges to security and sustainable development, reaffirmed his commitment to the peaceful settlement of conflicts, and stressed the importance of a just settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli issue. Among the new initiatives put forward are:
• Adoption of the concept of “Strategic Goals of Economic Partnership – 2035,” which focuses on digitalization, innovation, and artificial intelligence.
• Holding a meeting of trade ministers on ECO issues in Tashkent to discuss strategic issues and prepare an agreement on trade facilitation.
• Creation of a system of “green corridors” for the rapid exchange of information and unhindered trade in agricultural products.
• Development of a long-term Ecoinvest program to stimulate private and international investment in sustainable projects in the region.
• Forming alternative transport corridors, in particular, developing the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway with further connection to the Trans-Afghan Corridor.
• Accelerating the creation of a Digital Transport and Customs Office to coordinate the digitalization of logistics.
• Holding an ECO national airline forum in Samarkand to stimulate air transport, tourism, and marketing cooperation in the aviation sector.
• Developing a roadmap for expanding tourism services aimed at doubling tourist flows within the ECO.
• Creation of a cross-border “green program” for the restoration of ecosystems in desert areas with an emphasis on afforestation and the development of recreation.
• Preparation of proposals for reforming the EAEU to enhance its effectiveness and authority in the international arena.
In conclusion, the President of Uzbekistan expressed his confidence that the summit would give new impetus to economic cooperation and open a stage of meaningful transformation of regional partnership.
Full text of the speech by the President of Uzbekistan
In 1,780 cases of violation of customs rules, the objects of offenses worth almost UAH 370 million were temporarily seized. In particular:
– industrial goods worth UAH 213 million
– vehicles worth over UAH 122 million
– foodstuffs worth over UAH 33 million;
– currency worth UAH 2.2 million.
In 899 cases of customs rules violations, including those initiated in previous periods, customs applied administrative penalties in the form of fines amounting to UAH 31 million, and collected UAH 31 million to the state budget, taking into account cases considered in the previous period. The customs authorities submitted 2,689 cases of customs rules violations worth over UAH 5.5 billion to the courts. As a result of court proceedings, including those initiated in the previous periods, penalties (confiscation of goods and fines) amounted to UAH 2.5 billion.
Swiss company Nestlé has launched the first production line at its new vermicelli factory in Smolyhiv (Torchynska settlement community, Lutsk district, Volyn region), which is the result of a CHF40 million ($50 million at the current exchange rate) investment announced 30 months ago, according to a press release issued by the company on Monday. according to a company press release on Monday.
“The production capacity of the first line will enable the company to produce 5,000 tons of vermicelli by the end of 2025, with a planned increase in production with the opening of additional lines in the next two years,” the release said.
Nestlé notes that the Smolyhiv factory is the fourth factory opened in the company’s 30 years of operation in Ukraine.
“With the opening of the new factory, the company has created a European hub for food production in Ukraine in Volyn, combining the new factory in Smolyhiv with the one already operating in neighboring Torchyn,” the statement said.
According to the statement, the company is expanding its vermicelli production to meet growing demand in both Europe and Ukraine under the Maggi and Mivina brands. The new factory is an export-oriented enterprise: 75% of its products will be supplied to EU markets under the Maggi brand, which will increase foreign currency inflows to Ukraine. At the same time, 75% of the raw materials for production come from local suppliers in Ukraine, with wheat and sunflower oil being the key ingredients.
“The factory’s advantageous geographical location in western Ukraine creates ideal conditions for Nestlé to produce in Ukraine for both the local market and for export,” said Alessandro Zanelli, CEO of Nestlé in Ukraine and Southeast Europe, in a press release.
He added that the factory is a modern, digital, and fully automated production facility.
Ivan Rudnytskyi, head of the Volyn Regional State Administration, recalled that a factory producing ketchups and sauces under the Torchyn brand and a Nestlé distribution center are already operating in the region, and the launch of the new factory has created more than 300 new jobs, and that this number will increase in the near future to more than 1,500 people in the newly created production hub in Volyn.
Nestlé is one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, operating in 187 countries. It offers a wide range of products and services for families and pets.
It has over 2,000 brands. Nestlé began operations in Ukraine in 1994 with the opening of a representative office, acquired a controlling stake in ZAT Lvivska Kondyterska Fabryka Svitloch in 1998, and has owned 100% of the company since 2018.
In May 2003, Nestlé Ukraine LLC was established in Kyiv, and at the end of that year, Nestlé became the owner of 100% of the shares of Volynholding.
In 2010, Nestlé SA acquired Technocom LLC in Kharkiv, a manufacturer of instant products under the Mivina brand. In 2012, Nestlé Business Service (NBS Europe) was established in Lviv, which is one of seven Nestlé service centers in the world and provides support services to Nestlé divisions in more than 40 countries.
Nestlé’s business in Ukraine includes the following areas: coffee and beverages, confectionery, culinary products (cold sauces, seasonings, soups, instant products), baby and special nutrition, ready-to-eat breakfasts, and pet food.
At the end of last year, Dzanelli reported that Nestlé in Ukraine had increased production by 7-8% in 2024 and expects 10% growth in 2025.
Realty Summit 2025, one of the key platforms for discussing the state and prospects of the Ukrainian real estate market, brought together leading industry players in Odesa this year. At the invitation of DIM.RIA, CMO of Alliance Novobud, Iryna Mikhaleva, joined a discussion panel on current market challenges and effective formats of cooperation between developers and realtors.
During the blitz, the speakers shared their views on the current state of the primary real estate market, demand for new buildings in 2024-2025, key trends and challenges for developers. The participants also discussed financial instruments for buyers, including the implementation of the eOselya program, mortgage lending terms and accreditation of developers in banks.
A separate discussion block was devoted to cooperation between developers and realtors, an important component of modern sales. Iryna Mikhalova shared Alliance Novobud’s experience in building partnerships with agencies and individual market professionals, described cooperation models that have already proven their effectiveness, and outlined the benefits for both parties.
“Today’s real estate market requires flexible solutions and open dialog. Events such as Realty Summit bring together experts who are ready to share practical cases and look for answers to the challenges we face every day,” said Iryna Mikhaleva.
Alliance Novobud, DIM.RIA, Iryna Mikhaleva, Realty Summit 2025
Since the beginning of 2025, Ukraine’s judicial system has shown some progress in the introduction of new technologies, but there are delays in the consideration of cases and the enforcement of court decisions, according to Vitaliy Chayun, a lawyer at the Barristers law firm.
“The war has affected all aspects of the functioning of the courts, from the physical safety of judges to citizens’ access to justice. Despite this, the courts continue to operate, adapting to the conditions of martial law and the requirements of European integration reforms. In the first half of 2025, the judicial system showed some progress in the implementation of new technologies and reforms, but faced a number of problems, such as delays in the consideration of cases and difficulties in the enforcement of court decisions,” he told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
Chayun recalled that in 2024, 5.3 million cases were submitted to courts of all instances and jurisdictions, of which 4.4 million were considered by the courts.
“Approximately one million cases remain unresolved. This indicates a significant burden on the judicial system, especially given the conditions of martial law and staff shortages. It can be assumed that the number of cases in 2025 will remain high, given the growth in 2024 and the continuation of martial law,” he said.
Chayun noted that in the first half of 2025, Ukraine’s judicial system “continues to adapt to the conditions of war and reform in preparation for EU accession,” and among the main trends in the work of the judicial system is the introduction of remote court hearings, which allow hearings to be held without the physical presence of participants.
“This is especially important in wartime, when many citizens are internally displaced persons or live in combat zones. Given these challenges, the development of remote court proceedings is becoming a priority task, the implementation of which will ensure the effectiveness of court proceedings and procedural economy,” he said.
In addition, Chayun drew attention to the problem of filling judicial vacancies: in 2025, it is planned to appoint 1,800 judges to local courts, 550 to appellate courts, and 25 to the High Anti-Corruption Court. However, due to the length of the appointment procedures, “the judiciary has been ‘bled dry’ for many years.”
Chae also noted the processes of modernizing court IT systems and creating new specialized courts.
Commenting on the length of proceedings in Ukrainian courts, the lawyer pointed out that they “remain one of the key problems.” “Cases can be delayed for years due to a lack of funding for basic needs such as stamps, envelopes, and stationery necessary to send correspondence to parties to the proceedings,” he said.
According to Chayun, the delays affect “all types of cases, including economic cases, which are often complex due to the large number of documents and parties involved.” He recalled that between January and April 2025, 59,400 cases were pending in courts of various instances against the State Tax Service for a total amount of UAH 413.8 billion. At the same time, 6,900 cases worth UAH 78.7 billion were considered, of which 2,300 cases (including non-property disputes) worth UAH 44.4 billion were in favor of the State Tax Service, and 4,600 cases worth UAH 34.3 billion were in favor of taxpayers.
“Although there is no accurate data on the timing of economic cases in the first half of 2025, delays persist due to court overload and limited funding. It is expected that filling judicial vacancies and modernizing IT systems in the future will help speed up the consideration of cases, but in the first half of 2025, no significant improvements were achieved, and the shortage of personnel in the judicial system only exacerbates negative trends,” the lawyer emphasized.
He also drew attention to a number of problems with the enforcement of court decisions. “The enforcement of court decisions remains one of the most acute problems of the judicial system, as more than half of court decisions remain unenforced. In 2025, a new law on the digitization of enforcement proceedings and the implementation of a strategy to improve the work of the enforcement service are planned to be adopted. This demonstrates the state’s recognition of the existing problems in this area. However, during 2025, problems with the enforcement of court decisions are likely to persist due to the insufficient effectiveness of the enforcement service and a lack of resources,” the lawyer said.
“The Ukrainian judicial system showed gradual progress in implementing reforms in the first half of 2025, but delays in the consideration of cases, limited access to justice due to financial and technical problems, and difficulties in enforcing court decisions remain significant challenges. Lawyers are forced to adapt to these conditions, which requires additional efforts to protect their clients’ rights. Further reforms and support from the state and international partners are critical to ensuring effective and fair justice in Ukraine,” he concluded.
In June 2025, Ukraine exported 14.5% more electricity than it imported, which happened for the first time since October 2023, according to the Ukrainian energy and climate think tank DiXi Group, citing Energy Map.
“In June, electricity exports exceeded imports by 14.5%. This happened for the first time since 2023: the last time sales exceeded purchases was in October of the year before last,” DiXi Group said in a Facebook post.
A total of 233.4 thousand MWh were exported in June, which is 2.6 times higher than in May.
More than half of exports went to Hungary – 52.4% or 122.3 thousand MWh.
Another 16.6% (38.7 thousand MWh) went to Romania, 15.9% (37.2 thousand MWh) to Slovakia, 14.7% (34.2 thousand MWh) to Moldova, and 0.4% (0.9 thousand MWh) to Poland.
Exports were carried out daily, gradually reaching a peak on June 27 – 15.8 thousand MWh per day.
DiXi Group experts note that it was on that day that supplies to Poland resumed after a break of more than three months.
Imports increased by 5% compared to May, reaching 203.9 thousand MWh, of which 43% (87.7 thousand MWh) came from Hungary, 24% (48.8 thousand MWh) came from Slovakia, 14.7% (30,000 MWh) from Poland, 12.4% (25,300 MWh) from Romania, and 5.9% (12,000 MWh) from Moldova.
“With imports compared to exports, everything was the opposite: from high figures, the largest of which, 13.7 thousand MWh, fell on June 9, they moved to lower ones. On June 16, the lowest amount was purchased, namely 1.5 thousand MWh. Supplies fell by 6-25% from all countries except Slovakia and Hungary, where they increased by 35% and 13%, respectively,” explains DiXi Group.
Analysts note that in June last year, a record 858.4 thousand MWh were imported, which is more than four times higher than the corresponding result for 2025.
As reported, in May 2025, Ukraine reduced electricity exports by 41% compared to April, to 89.1 thousand MWh, while increasing imports by 4%, to 194.1 thousand MWh.
