Uzbekistan–Serbia Diplomacy: In Belgrade, Serbian FM Marko Đurić met Uzbek Deputy FM Muzaffar Madrakhimov for the third round of bilateral political consultations, stressing momentum in economic cooperation and agreeing to hold a first session of a bilateral commission on trade, economic ties, and science/technical cooperation, with added focus on infrastructure and information & communication technologies. India–Uzbekistan Trade Push: In New Delhi, Uzbek FM Bakhtiyor Saidov met Indian leaders including President Droupadi Murmu and EAM S. Jaishankar as both sides reviewed their strategic partnership, with rare earths and mining high on the agenda; Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal urged businesses to double trade to $2B (and even $3B in some reports) over three years via co-investment, co-manufacturing, and possible free-trade talks, highlighting pharma, textiles/cotton, agriculture, IT, and digital infrastructure. Aviation Deal: Incheon International Airport Corporation won rights for a new Tashkent airport under a PPP BTO plan, with operations expected to start after a multi-year build and a 35-year concession. Science & Education: Qatar won bronze at the International Chemistry Olympiad hosted in Tashkent, while Uzbekistan-linked research and innovation themes also surfaced across regional cooperation coverage. Water & Industry Risk: A Chatham House report warns that “virtual water” embedded in global textiles—spanning cotton and dyeing—puts water-stressed countries including Uzbekistan at growing climate and supply-chain risk. Desert Tech Transfer: China’s desert-control know-how, including straw checkerboard methods, is being shared through a new China–Central Asia cooperation center, offering lessons relevant to Central Asian land restoration.