November 21, 2007
Politics:
12th plenary session of Senate to convene on 30 November
Event Notes Constitution’s Role As Date Stands At Doorstep
Ambassador Tsutomu Hiraoka: ‘I’ll Do All My Best To Contribute To Ties’
Economics:
Uzbekistan - Japan: a year of a big breakthrough
Companies provide assistance to cotton farmers of Uzbekistan
UzbekInvest Hayot's authorized capital raised to 1.5bn soums
Society:
Uzbek seminar lauds implementation of law on child rights
All goals have been reached
POLITICS
12TH PLENARY SESSION OF SENATE TO CONVENE ON 30 NOVEMBER
The Kengash (Council) of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis (Parliament) of Uzbekistan passed a resolution on calling the Senate’s 12th plenary session on November 30 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan National News Agency Russian-language website has said.
At the session, the senators will consider the State budget of Uzbekistan for 2008, as well as a number of laws, including:
• on introducing an addendum to article 24 of the law on public funds;
• on introducing an addendum to article 542 of the Code of Criminal Procedure;
• on introducing changes and addenda to some legal act in relation to strengthening responsibility for committing illegal actions in the field of informatization and data transmission;
• on introducing changes and addenda to laws on budget system and on treasury execution of the state budget;
• on introducing changes and addendum to some legal acts in relation to improvement of management in industry, gas supply and mountain control;
• on Uzbekistan’s joining the Agreement on postal payments services (Bukharest, 5 October 2004);
• on introducing changes and addenda to some legal acts with the purpose of improvement of the order of voluntary liquidation of entrepreneurship subjects;
• on introducing changes and addenda to the law on natural monopolies.
Some other questions in the Senate’s competency will also be considered at the plenary session.
EVENT NOTES CONSTITUTION’S ROLE AS DATE STANDS AT DOORSTEP
On November 20 this year the Senate Legislation and Judicial Committee held the roundtable “Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan is the basis of legal reforms”. The discussion has been timed to the forthcoming anniversary of the Main Law of the country – the Constitution to be marked on December 8 - the day the document was adopted in 1992.
The senators and lawmakers at the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, scholars of jurisprudence, the staff members of the judicial and law enforcement bodies, ministries and agencies, science organizations and higher educational institutions, various public associations and mass media are reported to have participated at the roundtable, the local newspapers reported.
The delegates to the discussion have said that the successes achieved by the country for over the years of national sovereignty in state and legal development are the results of efficiency of principles and norms of Constitution. They have also underscored that the accomplishments during the past years call for the fair assessment of the profound role and potential of Constitution.
The respective amendments introduced with the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan in terms of liberalization and modernization of the country vividly testify to implementation of constitutional and legal reforms in the country. Those amendments were necessitated by the need to further intensify the democratic reforms, raise the social and political activeness of citizens, and take the country forward from a strong state towards a strong civil society.
At the moment, the ongoing legal reform has brought to serious transformations of legal regulatory mechanism of holding elections and which reflected in strengthening the role of political parties in renewal and further democratization of state governance and modernization of the country.
The roundtable has also focused on the need to continue the work on further improving the legal basis of reforming and modernizing the country in line with program goals of building the democratic law-governed state and open civil society defined in the Constitution.
Besides, the delegates to the discussion are reported to have exchanged views and voiced proposals on improving the quality of lawmaking, further propagating the Constitution’s role and significance, implementing the measures on raising the awareness of Constitution among citizens.
AMBASSADOR TSUTOMU HIRAOKA: ‘I’LL DO ALL MY BEST TO CONTRIBUTE TO TIES’
On November 16 at the Oksaroy Residence in Tashkent the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Uzbekistan Tsutomu Hiraoka granted his credentials to President Islam Karimov, Jahon Information Agency reported.
President has said that the Uzbek-Japanese relations have been gradually developing in all spheres. He has congratulated the Ambassador on his appointment to such honorable as well as responsible post, and wished him success in his tenure in the country.
Uzbekistan’s cooperation with Japan is based on the principles of friendship and mutual trust. In 2002 President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov paid an official visit to Japan. His visit then resulted in signing, among other documents, of the Joint declaration on friendship, strategic partnership and cooperation.
On the of 15th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence – in August 2006 then the Prime Minister of Japan Junichiro Koizumi visited Uzbekistan. That was the first visit of the Japanese Prime Minister to the country and Central Asia, as a whole.
Japan is one of the active and large trade, economic and investment partners of Uzbekistan. In particular, the Japanese government has allocated the soft credit worth 150 million US dollars for the implementation of the railroad construction project Tashguzar-Baysun-Kumkurghan, which was commissioned this year.
Also, the country signed with Japanese Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) the credit agreements worth 90 million US dollars to finance the construction of textile complexes on manufacturing the exports-bound finished products in Bagat and Kokand.
The Uzbek-Japanese and Japanese-Uzbek committees on economic cooperation regularly hold the joint sittings. The business communities of the two countries organize the business forums.
The last one was held in Tashkent as a part of visit of the Deputy Director General of the Office for Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan Toshihisa Takata to Uzbekistan.
In humanitarian sphere Japan supports the National program for cadres training being now gradually implemented in Uzbekistan. To date, the two countries have jointly established the language labs and computer centers at many schools, lyceums, colleges and higher educational institutions.
In the Oksaroy talks, which followed the official ceremony, the Japanese envoy Tsutomu Hiraoka thanked the President for the sincere welcome. He has said it would be a high honor to him to contribute to further development of cooperation of his country with Uzbekistan and that for such purpose he would all his best.
ECONOMY
UZBEKISTAN - JAPAN: A YEAR OF A BIG BREAKTHROUGH
Tashkent is hosting the second session of the Uzbek-Japanese business forum organized by the Ministry of Foreign Economic Affairs, Investments and Trade of Uzbekistan, Center for Political Research and the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The forum shows that activeness of the Japanese business in Uzbekistan is growing.
The participants of the meeting: representatives of ministries and departments and business of both countries stressed that constructive dialog continued between Uzbekistan and Japan for fifteen years; the two states united under common interests and similar positions and views on many global problems. President Islam Karimov’s visit to Japan in summer of 2002 played a key role in establishing firm and mutually beneficial relations. The Joint Declaration on strategic partnership, friendship and cooperation between Uzbekistan and Japan was signed during the visit.
Both sides believe that perspectives of mutually beneficial cooperation are very high. Therefore, the Japanese delegation that has arrived in Tashkent includes representatives of more than 20 big companies and corporations.
It should be noted that today projects in such perspective branches as mechanical engineering, metalwork, light industry, transport, tourism, healthcare and information technologies are implemented in Uzbekistan with the support of Japan. There nine joint ventures having Japan capital and over 20 offices of Japanese companies are accredited in the Republic. The peculiarity of Japan’s investment activity is that its finds are basically invested in the implementation of projects having real impact on the acceleration of economic and industrial development in Uzbekistan. They include oil and gas and chemical projects; Japan has invested in the reconstruction of “Kokdumalak”, biggest Uzbek oil deposit, construction of Bukhara Oil Processing Plant and Shurtan Gas and Chemical Complex and reconstruction of Ferghana Oil Processing Plant. The Japanese investment in various spheres of the Uzbek economy has reached around US$ 2 billion in recent years. The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) offered state credit of more than US$ 910 million under the “Official Assistance in Development” Program and commercial credit of more than US$ 800 million. Technical assistance and grants comprised over US$ 160 million.
Participants of the forum think that a year after the first business forum in Tashkent is really a progressive one for bilateral relations. The construction of Uzbekistan’s transport trunk: Tashguzar-Boisun-Kumkurgan worth US$ 450 million is about to end, involving the JBIC’s credit of US$ 150 million in the country’s transportation. The Itochu Corp that is assembling buses in Samarkand is involved in the Uzbek motor-car sector. In sphere of power saving technologies the Japanese Mitsubishi Corp began to implement the CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) projects in the Uzbek chemical enterprises. Both sides hope for steady cooperation in developing the deposits of nonferrous metals of Uzbekistan, exploring the perspective uranium fields and delivering regularly this type of fuel to Japan.
The Japanese delegation’s head, Deputy Director-General of the Trade Policy Department of the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Tashikhisa Takata stated at the forum that “both the Japanese and Uzbek sides are gaining valuable information, activating contacts here. I am sure that they show great interest in business. The implementation of new projects confirms it. We are moving in proper direction and these steps are quite dynamic”.
Japan’s rich experience in using efficiently its industrial potential and innovative and technological development causes significant interest of other countries. Uzbekistan is one of them, aiming at the innovative development of its economy. At present rapid development of technological, scientific and technical spheres is of priority importance for the country’s economy for the purpose of launching effective and competitive industries. Thereupon, for Uzbekistan the actuality of further development of relations with Japan is growing now. Here a clear example is Uzbekistan’s cooperation with the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) that intends to practice its experience in integrating high technologies in exploring the oil, gas and uranium fields of the Republic.
Within the forum framework the two sides discussed the state of mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, economy, industry, tourism, innovation and investment as well as practical goals and tasks for future. The second business forum shows that the Uzbek-Japanese cooperation is reaching a new and more modern level.
COMPANIES PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO COTTON FARMERS OF UZBEKISTAN
This year the agricultural workers of Uzbekistan have harvested over 3.7 million tones of cotton, the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Management of the Republic of Uzbekistan informed. Undoubtedly this is good news not only for the farmers themselves but for the Uzbek nation as a whole.
Speaking of the successes in cotton growing, President Karimov congratulated cotton farmers and all workers of Uzbekistan with this great achievement. The head of state specifically noted on the entrepreneurial qualities, diligence, and skillfulness that are traditionally used to describe the Uzbek people. He also noted the important role of the companies and organizations that provide open and free assistance to farmers during the harvesting season.
One of such companies is the leading construction materials producer of Uzbekistan – AhangaranCement. The enterprise is a part of the EuroCement Group, an international industrial holding specialized in the production of construction materials. The management has decided to appropriate a number of harvesting machines – ZILs, KamAZs, MAZs and tractors for this purpose.
Also, the company directed 550 of its employees to help the farmers of the region, who gathered more than 800 tonnes of cotton.
The management of the company said the AhangaranCement's contribution to the cotton-harvesting campaign was not left unnoticed, which is illustrated by a number of thank-you letters sent to the director of the company D. Dotsenko.
In particular, the khokimiats of Akkurgan and Chinaz districts of Tashkent region expressed their appreciation to the staff of the company for the assistance given in sowing and harvesting of cotton this year.
Undoubtedly, the integration of advanced technologies, the strengthening of financial-technical base of agriculture, hard labour of farmers, and the invaluable assistance being provided to the farming businesses have a positive impact on the economic power of the country and the welfare of the Uzbek nation.
UZBEKINVEST HAYOT'S AUTHORIZED CAPITAL RAISED TO 1.5BN SOUMS
The only active insurance company in Uzbekistan specialized in life insurance, UzbekInvest Hayot has announced the increase of its authorized capital to the level of 1.5 billion soums.
The new size of the company's authorized capital was registered at the Ministry of Justice, Uzreport.com Business Information Portal reported.
This change in the capital of the company was a step towards meeting the requirements set for the insurance organizations in the Presidential Resolution "On measures to further reform and develop the market for insurance services" of 10 April 2007, which states that the size of the authorized capital of insurance organizations specialized in life insurance should constitute at least the sum equivalent to US$750,000.
The representatives of the company said the size of the authorized capital was one of the main indicators of any company's financial stability and paying capacity, which in turn reflected the trust of the clients in it, and was an indicator of the level of capitalization and ability to take on larger insurance risks.
UzbekInvest Hayot Subsidiary Company was founded by the UzbekInvest National Export and Import Insurance Company in December 2003. Today, the company renders its services to the population both in the forms of long-term life insurance, insurance of borrower's life, medical insurance, accident insurance, insurance against infections diseases, insurance of medical expenses, insurance of individuals traveling abroad, etc.
SOCIETY
UZBEK SEMINAR LAUDS IMPLEMENTATION OF LAW ON CHILD RIGHTS
A scientific and practical seminar on how the convention on the rights of the child are reflected in the laws of the Republic of Uzbekistan has been held in Tashkent, Uzbek National Agency UzA reported on November 20.
The event was organized by the Committee of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis (parliament) of the Republic of Uzbekistan on democratic institutes, non-governmental organizations and the committee for local governments jointly with the UNDP project. It was attended by members of parliament's Legislative Chamber and the Senate, the parliament's human rights commissioner; representatives from the relevant ministries, departments, organizations and law-enforcement agencies; from the UN and UNICEF in our country; representatives of NGOs and the media.
The seminar, presided by the chairman of the (above mentioned) committee Akmal Saidov, particularly noted that all the provisions of the said convention are fully reflected in the legislation of our country. Under the leadership of President Islam Karimov children are in constant care. Issues of further improving their lives, protecting their rights and interests are reflected in all adopted laws and regulations.
Uzbekistan submits regular national reports on implementing the provisions of the convention to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. A national action programme has been developed and implemented for this purpose. A legal and institutional framework for child protection has been created in Uzbekistan.
Provisions of international documents on the rights of the child are fully incorporated into the national legislation. In particular, provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child are reflected in the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan; in the civil, family and labour procedure codes; in the criminal and criminal procedure codes; in the laws on the principles of national youth policy in the Republic of Uzbekistan, on education, on citizenship of the Republic of Uzbekistan, on citizens' health care, on social protection of the disabled in the Republic of Uzbekistan.
As was noted at the seminar, consistent large-scale work is being carried on for further enhancing the national legislation on the rights of the child. For this particular purpose, based on a decree of President Islam Karimov on a state programme for the Year of Social Protection dated 23 January 2007, a draft of a new law on Child Rights Guarantees has been developed, which was adopted at the first reading at a plenary session of the parliament's Legislative Chamber.
At the moment, the draft is being studied in detail by the members of the Legislative Chamber and civil society representatives, and is being improved based on recommendations and views.
ALL GOALS HAVE BEEN REACHED
Football players of the junior national team of Uzbekistan have won the permit in the final stage of the continental championship by winning three matches out of three in the group stage of the Asian Cup 2008, which took place on the stadium of the Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineering.
The beginning of the tournament has been difficult for Uzbek players: they have won the match with the contemporaries from Yemen with the score 1:0, and only nine players remained at the field at the end of the game, so the will for a victory has had to be demonstrated fully. The second game against Jordan has also been rather difficult, where Jordan opened the score already on the 8th minute. But five minutes later Alisher Azizov showed his striker’s skills. By the end of the first half he again has put his team forward with a beautiful acrobatic strike. And right before the final whistle Sanat Shihov established the final score 3:1, which meant that the national team of Uzbekistan provided themselves the desired permit to the final stage of the Asian Cup ahead of the schedule.
The last game with the outsiders of the tournament football players from Nepal has lost the motivation, and Uzbek players did not show anything spectacular: one goal, which was scored by Kenja Turaev, was enough for keeping the 100% result.
The fate of the second permit was decided in the game between Jordan and Yemen, each of which had one victory over Nepal – 2:0 and 3:0 correspondingly. And although the game ended with a scoreless draw, the result was positive for football players from Yemen, which had a better goal difference.
- To the end of the twentieth century our youth team have never passed the group stage of the continental championship. But gradually the Football Federation managed to bring up the reserve, and already in 2005 the failure appeared to be illogical, - has explained the situation the chief of the national teams department of FFU Alisher Nikimbaev. – In this tournament our juniors had to prove that not qualifying on the Asian Cup 2006 was an accident. Ahmad Ubaydullaev’s wards have accomplished the task by playing well in the second game. It should be noted that the “youth” now does not have any base clubs – this is a pure national team, many players of which are already engaged in big clubs of Uzbekistan. Zohir Perimov who has played more than 20 games for “Kyzylkum”, “Nasaf” already makes high stakes on Fazyl Musayev and Kenja Turaev. We even have a legionary Davron Mirzaev, who plays in the reserve of the “Rubin” in Kazan. It is also essential that this team is the prototype of the Olympic national team of Uzbekistan, which will have to solve the question of participation in the London Olympics in 2012.
The second important moment is the test of our organizing abilities. As we expect a positive decision of the Asian Football Confederation on the question of hosting of the final of the junior championship of the continent – Tashkent has sent the application to AFC, - for us such kind of tournament became a rehearsal.