March 03, 2010
Politics:
President appoints three Cabinet members
Economics:
3rd National Fair of Innovative Ideas, Technologies and Projects starts in Tashkent
Spring exhibition season begins in Uzbekistan
Modernization of Compressor Stations
Society:
Uzbekistan, Japan sign exchange notes
Winners of "Atirgul" (Roze) contest awarded
POLICY
PRESIDENT APPOINTS THREE CABINET MEMBERS
President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov signed decrees on 1 March on appointing the new minister of higher and specialized secondary education, as well as chairmen of the State Demonopolization Committee and the State Property Committee.
In accordance with the decrees, Bakhodir Khodiyev was appointed to the post of the minister of higher and specialized secondary education.
Jahongir Ismailov has become the chairman of the State Committee for Demonopolization and Development of Competition.
Aziz Abduhakimov, previously first vice-chairman of the State Committee for State Property Management, will head this committee as acting chairman. (Source: National News Agency UzA)
ECONOMY
3RD NATIONAL FAIR OF INNOVATIVE IDEAS, TECHNOLOGIES AND PROJECTS STARTS IN TASHKENT
3rd National Fair of Innovative Ideas, Technologies and Projects started its work in Tashkent on 1 March. The fair is organized annually in line with the presidential resolution "On additional measures to stimulate the introduction of innovative projects and technologies into production".
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov noted that the National Innovative Ideas Fair is becoming one of the main mechanisms of stimulating the introduction of results of scientific activity, ensuring integration of science and production.
The fair is organized by the Economy Ministry, Committee for Coordination of Science and Technologies Development under the Cabinet of Ministers, and the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade of Uzbekistan.
According to organizers, the fair is intended as a constantly working platform for joining the investment demand with supply in the innovation sphere, a place of direct business contacts among innovators and investors and a kind of intellectual property market.
The fair has the following thematic directions: industry, agriculture, pharmacy, healthcare, information technologies, science and education. More than 110 scientific and research, educational, experimental-design organizations, small innovation centers and inventors are participating in the exhibition with over 600 technologies and ideas.
It should be noted that 740 agreements were signed during the two previous fairs of innovative ideas. 182 agreements intended for a short period have been completed so far, 120 agreements are being implemented now. Nearly 7 billion soums have been directed on the realization of these projects to scientific organizations. (Source: Uzreport Business Information Portal)
SPRING EXHIBITION SEASON BEGINS IN UZBEKISTAN
ITE Uzbekistan, the country's organizer of international specialized exhibitions, released a list of projects for spring 2010 at the Uzexpocenter National Exhibition Center in Tashkent.
The exhibition, Construction UzBuild 2010, will open on 9 March. It is the largest such exhibition in Uzbekistan. Last year, the Board of Directors of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) decided to include the exhibition into its list of recommended events, Trend Capital reports.
The MebelExpo Uzbekistan 2010 Satellite Furniture and Manufacturing Technologies Exhibition will be held at the same site as UzBuild. This exhibition is held every year to help attract foreign investment and stimulate competition in the Uzbek furniture market.
Annual exhibitions Food Industry - WorldFood Uzbekistan 2010 and Agriculture - AgroWorld Uzbekistan 2010 will be held on 24-26 March. WorldFood Uzbekistan will celebrate its tenth anniversary and its daughter show AgroWorld Uzbekistan - its fifth anniversary.
Medical exhibitions are planned on 14-17 April, such as Healthcare - TIHE, which will celebrate its fifteenth anniversary. In the past, four international exhibitions Healthcare - TIHE, Pharmaceutical Industry - AptekaExpo, Dentistry - Stomatology Uzbekistan, Beauty and Aestheticmed - Beauty & Aesthetic Medicine were held under the name of Week of Health of Uzbekistan - TIHE. However, this year the event will be transformed into four exhibitions. TIHE successfully passed exhibition auditing procedures and received a UFI certificate.
The spring exhibition season will finish with the OGU 2010 International Oil and Gas Exhibition and Conference, which is a key event of the country's oil and gas sector. The OGU's authority and status increase every year, which is seen by the increased exposure of the exhibition, the increased number of countries and companies participating, and its official recognition by the Global Association of Exhibition Industry.
ITE Uzbekistan, an official partner of the international exhibition company ITE Exhibitions and Conferences Ltd. (UK), is a leader in organizing exhibitions in Uzbekistan. Since its opening in 1995, ITE Uzbekistan's exhibitions have attracted over 10,000 companies from Europe, Asia and the Americas. (Source: Uzreport Business Information Portal)
MODERNIZATION OF COMPRESSOR STATIONS
In 2010-2013 Uzbekneftegaz plans to modernize the 2nd and 3rd compressor station.
In accordance with the National Investment Program for 2010, the modernization project provides for the introduction of two gas turbine units (GTU) at each compressor station with the electricity capacity of 25 MW.
Specialists Uzbekneftegaz National Holding Company believe the project, worth about $64 million, will enable generation of up to 212 MWh of electricity in standalone mode, which will reduce almost twice the dependence of the compressor station on the electricity supply and increase the reliability of pumping of natural gas to consumers of Tashkent region and Fergana Valley in the winter.
Currently, design enterprises of Uzbekneftegaz are finalizing the technical analysis of options for the introduction of gas turbine plants. Preparation of feasibility study is scheduled to be completed toward the end of 2010, followed by the announcement of the tender for the supply of equipment. The project will be financed by Uzbekneftegaz.
The total length of main gas pipelines in Uzbekistan unified estimates stretches for more than 14,000 kilometers. Uztransgaz operates 24 compressor stations and more than 300 distribution stations. (Source: Uzbekistan Today newspaper)
SOCIETY
UZBEKISTAN, JAPAN SIGN EXCHANGE NOTES
Ambassador of Japan to Uzbekistan Tsutomu Hiraoka met Vice-Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov on 1 March. The sides discussed issues of development and implementation of joint projects.
At the end of the talks, the governments of Uzbekistan and Japan signed exchange notes in the framework of the Japanese government’s cultural assistance program.
In accordance with the document, Japan will allocate JPY 33.2 million (almost USD 330,000) for the project of improvement of the lighting and audiovisual equipment of the Alisher Navoi State Academic Theater of Uzbekistan in Tashkent.
On 3 February, President of Uzbekistan signed a resolution on the effective use of the grant of the government of Japan, issued for the provision of the theater with special equipment.
“The signed document will serve to further development of cooperation between Uzbekistan and Japan in the field of culture,” Ambassador Tsutomu Hiraoka said.
Japan supports wide-scale reforms implemented in Uzbekistan. The two countries have established close cooperation in various areas, including culture. Currently, an Uzbek-Japanese archaeological expedition is exploring territories of Qoratepa, Kampirtepa and Dalvarzintepa in Surkhandarya region of Uzbekistan. (Source: National News Agency UzA)
WINNERS OF "ATIRGUL" (ROZE) CONTEST AWARDED
The awarding ceremony of winners of contest “Atirgul” (Roze) took place at the national press centre of Uzbekistan. The annual contest is organized by the Creative union of journalists of Uzbekistan among women working in the media.
More than 50 women working for TV and radio channels, newspapers and magazines, as well as online publications participated in this year’s contest. 12 of them became winners.
Among the winners are Shahzoda Akbarova (Namangan) of Ayol va Jamiyat newspaper, Shohizta Bozorova of Qashqadaryo newspaper, Ubolgan Erimbetova of Krakalpakstan TV and radio channel, Larisa Kapustina of Andizhanskaya Pravda, Nazoka Usmanova of UzA news agency and others.
Deputy prime minister of Uzbekistan, chairman of the country’s Women’s committee F.Akbarova participated in the awarding ceremony. (Source: National News Agency UzA)