Uzbekistan has announced the sale of the Fergana Oil Refinery, the second-largest in the country, through an open sale process, UzAssets Investment state company said.

British oil major BP plans to expand gas production in the southeastern part of the Shah Deniz field in Azerbaijan in May-June 2021 as part of the field's second stage development, BP said.

Uzbekistan plans to list its securities on the Russian stock exchange in a bid to develop its capital market and attract foreign investors.

The Central Asian country is making efforts to improve its investment climate after more than two decades of economic isolation. The closed, autarkic system viewed most foreign investments as a threat. That ended when Islam Karimov, who had led Uzbekistan since before the Soviet breakup, died in 2016.