25 July, 2006

Politics
French Senate delegation visits Uzbekistan

Economics
Stroytransgaz to increase capacities of Uzbekneftegaz
Indian firm acquires Uzbek textile firm - reports
Delegation of Lahore Commercial and Industrial Chamber in Uzbekistan

Society
Uzbek students secure top awards in World Math Olympiad
International Aerospace Summer School opens in Uzbekistan

POLITICS

FRENCH SENATE DELEGATION VISITS UZBEKISTAN

Visiting vice chairman of the French Senate’s finance commission Emeri de Montesquieu met chairman of Senate of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan Ilgizar Sobirov in Tashkent on Monday.

At the meeting, the sides discussed development of inter-parliamentary ties between Uzbekistan and France.

They highly evaluated the tradition of regular exchange of experience between the two countries’ parliaments.

ECONOMICS

STROYTRANSGAZ TO INCREASE CAPACITIES OF UZBEKNEFTEGAZ

Stroytransgaz, Russian engineering company, is planning to complete negotiations on creation of joint venture with Uzbekneftegaz to realize project on liquefaction of propane- butane mixture at Mubarek gas processing plant (MGPP), Kashkadarya region of Uzbekistan.

The cost of the project is US$258 million and it will allow to increase production of liquefied gas threefold in Uzbekistan. It added that the sides should agree their share in the venture. Russian company requests controlling interest in the venture, while Uzbek side insists on an equal footing.

Interfax, Russian news agency, reported quoting source in Uzbekneftegaz that the company adopted decision to create joint venture on an equal footing and agreed main condition of charter agreement of new company.

It is planned to construct equipment on production of 336,000 tonnes of propane- butane mixture and 150,000 tonnes of natural-gas stable gasoline per year at MGPP. Stroytransgaz won a tender on this project in the end of 2004, but it is not realized yet.

Uzbekneftegaz said that the project currently is considered by Economy Ministry, Finance Ministry and Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade Ministry. The Uzbek company said the conclusion was not sent to Moscow yet as local UzbekLITIneftegaz should also provide its opinion on the project.

The Uzbek company expects that the final negotiations will be held in Autumn this year, probably in November.

The daily said it is beneficial for Uzbekistan to create venture with Stroytransgaz as its triple production of liquefied gas. It added that it is also important for Stroytransgaz as it is first project in Uzbekistan and first project on installation of equipment on production of liquefied gas.

INDIAN FIRM ACQUIRES UZBEK TEXTILE FIRM - REPORTS

Spentex Industries Ltd, Indian textile company, has acquired Tashkent-To'yetpa Tekstil Ltd, an Uzbek spinning company, for $81 million, the Indian media outlets reported on Monday, 24 July.

The report said Tashkent-To'yetpa has a combined capacity of 220,000 spindles and 236 jet airlooms. The acquisition would make Spentex the largest spinning enterprise in India with an installed capacity of over 570,000 spindles.

Spentex has also got a number of incentives the government of Uzbekistan including 50% discount on raw cotton, exemption on corporate taxes, customs duty and VAT.

DELEGATION OF LAHORE COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL CHAMBER IN UZBEKISTAN

Delegation of the Lahore Commercial and Industrial Chamber (LCIC), led by the President of the LCIC, Mian Shavkat Ali, made a visit to the city of Tashkent from 18 to 20 July.

The Pakistani delegation's main purpose from the visit was to meet their Uzbek colleagues and to hold talks in the Commercial and Industrial Chamber of the Republic Uzbekistan.

The delegation consisted of four people – the president of the LCIC, Mian Shavkat Ali, deputy president, Adnan Usman and also two members of the LCIC.

This visit has been organized by the Commercial and Industrial Chamber of the Republic Uzbekistan with a view of development of mutual relations between the Uzbek and Pakistani businessmen, and also the attraction of the Pakistan investments into the development of manufacture of small and private business enterprises of the country.

During its stay in Uzbekistan, the delegation of representatives of business circles of Pakistan visited enterprises of the capital.

Likewise, as a part of the visit, meetings and negotiations with heads of big enterprises and companies of Tashkent were organized, investment and export opportunities of enterprises and companies in different fields of Uzbekistan's economy were submitted, and also condition and prospects for further cooperation were discussed.

The Commercial and Industrial Chamber in Lahore was set up in 1923 by businessmen and industrialists and it was renamed into Lahore Commercial and Industrial Chamber in 1960. This is the first chamber of commerce in Pakistan which has received the certificate of conformity ISO: 9001.

The leadership of the LCIC is assigned to the President, the senior Vice-President and the Vice-President, who head the Executive Committee of the Chamber consisting of 27 people.

LCIC strives to make an effective contribution to the national economic development through the encouragement of trade and industry and it plays an important role in the research of potential markets for the development of Pakistan's export, through the organization and the participation in international fairs and exhibitions in the CIS countries, the United Arab Emirates, the USA and Europe.

The visit of the Lahore Commercial and Industrial Chamber delegation testifies that Pakistani businessmen are interested in expanding mutually beneficial business relations with their Uzbek partners.

UZBEK STUDENTS SECURE TOP AWARDS IN WORLD MATH OLYMPIAD

Four students from the specialized boarding school for talented youth N1 in Karakul District, Bukhara Province, returned with several awards from Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, where the 47th World Math Olympiad is reported to have taken place.

Javlonbek Bozorov and Utkir Boltaev earned bronze medals, while Jasur Kuchkarov and Umid Azimov – were awarded special diplomas.

Nearly 600 school students from o¬ne hundred countries around the world participated in the global test. The very fact that Uzbek students achieved a profound success at such high-profile gathering of the talented young mathematicians stands for a lot, the report has underscored.

In general, for over the years of national independence the schoolchildren from Uzbekistan are reported to have secured fifteen medals at international tests o¬n math and thirteen among them has come as a total success of students at the Karakul specialized boarding school.

“For over the many years our students have been earning the top places both in republican and international tests,” – Tukhtamurod Jumaev, the school principal, has said, “the application of leading technology in teaching as well as individual approach towards talented students no less promotes such achievement in the field”.

INTERNATIONAL AEROSPACE SUMMER SCHOOL OPENS IN UZBEKISTAN

Official opening of the summer season of the International Aerospace School (IASS 2006) was held on 24 July at the conference hall of the Science Academy of Uzbekistan.

International Aerospace Youth Foundation of Vahidov, Science Academy of Uzbekistan, Koinot (Space) Company, National Center of the Talents of Secondary Specialised and Professional Education, Tashkent State Aviation Institute, and Russian Foreign Center Office in Uzbekistan have organised this season.

"International Aerospace Youth Foundation of Vahidov has convoked this "small star academy" for the 18th time. It gathers 14-17 year old talented girls and boys from different parts of our country and France, those who demonstrated their knowledge of mathematics, physics, astronomy, and won in city and regional Olympiads, or showed special skills in building different aircrafts. In other words, they are those who decided to do a research in the field of science, technology and modern technology, particularly in the fields of aviation and aerospace," said the Chairman of the Organisational Committee Shavkat Vahidov.

This year International Aerospace Summer School will be dedicated to 45th anniversary of the human being's first flight to space conducted by Yuri Gagarin, and 15th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

IASS 2006 is an interim team of high school and university students, teachers, scientists, and specialists of Koinot Company and other organizations. This team ensures the implementation of a set of study and educational measures, aimed at the development and support of the provision of students with the necessary knowledge, skills and attributes which contribute to the profession of engineers and teachers in the field of aerospace and computer technology.

In accordance with this approach, schools will hold scientific-technological, cognitive, cultural, general physical and special preparations. The main lectures and practical tutorials will be conducted in the mountainous zone of Kizil-say, Parkent district, Tashkent region. The leading scientists, constructors, and specialists of the academic and industrial scientific research institutes and universities, teachers of the aerospace industries of Uzbekistan, Russia and France, and the diplomatic corps will speak to young talents in the course of unofficial meetings.

According to the organizers, pilot-cosmonaut of the Russian Federation, Hero, Colonel Salijan Sharipov, Cosmonaut Instructor Andrey Malikov, and a Doctor of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Preparation Center Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Matveev will participate in the International Aerospace Summer School 2006. Also, a group of cosmonauts and lecturers headed by the Commanding Officer of the Boeing 747 of Air France Company Madam Christine Debusy will come from Paris to participate.

Young students will not only study, but also rest and go camping along the Chatkal Mountain Ridge, conduct an excursion to the "Object of Sun", where the scientists of the Institute of Material Studies of the Science Academy smelt the metals using the energy of sun.