27 November, 2006

Politics:
Uzbekistan Senate approves 2007 state budget
Kuwait delegation visits Uzbekistan
Uzbek Authorized On Human Rights Meets UNICEF Official
World Bank to give US$26.9m to Central Asian states to fight against HIV/AIDS
Legislative Chamber discusses iodine deficiency issues
Economics:
Israeli experts conduct seminars with the chamber of commerce and industry
Indonesia is reliable partner of Uzbekistan – business forum
Society:
Uzbekistan attends Import Shop Berlin 2006
Latvian films in Uzbekistan
Turkish scholar tours along great Silk Road cities
Exhibition of French photo masters held in Bukhara

POLITICS

UZBEKISTAN SENATE APPROVES 2007 STATE BUDGET

Uzbekistan Senate’s Committee for Budget and Economic Reforms held a session on 24 November to discuss the main macroeconomic indicators and parameters of the state budget for 2007, the Senate press service said.
The budget for the coming fiscal year is even more socially oriented, and there are tendencies of reduction of the tax burden on the economy and the people’s incomes.
After the discussion, the senators approved the State Budget of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2007.
A round table on deepening budget and tax reforms was organized by the Senate committee together with the Finance Ministry and the State Tax Committee on the same day. The heads of the named structures and large companies informed the session participants of the reforms in their respective spheres, as well the the reforms’ influence on the various economic sectors.
The forum participants voiced the need to improve the tax legislation. They said the new draft Tax Code had been developed in order to create favorable tax conditions for entrepreneurs and optimize the taxation system.
Reduction of a number of taxes and abolition of economic tax in 2006 allowed the local companies to save significant funds, it was said.
The tax policy for 2007 envisages further reduction of the tax burden.

KUWAIT DELEGATION VISITS UZBEKISTAN

Delegation led by Minister of Communication of Kuwait Maasouma al Moubarak met Deputy chairmen of Senate of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan Farruha Muhitdinova on 22 November 2006.
During the negotiations the sides pointed out that the agreements reached during official visit of President Islam Karimov to Kuwait on 19-20 January 2004 serve as an important factor in development of bilateral ties between two countries.
The parties also exchanged views on present state and perspectives of interparliamentary communications of two countries.

UZBEK AUTHORIZED ON HUMAN RIGHTS MEETS UNICEF OFFICIAL

Later last week the Authorized of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Human Rights (Ombudsman) Sayyora Rashidova received the UNICEF expert at the Innocenti Research Center Tronda Vaaj.
Ms. Rashidova informed the guest on formation and development of activity of the office of an Authorized on Human Rights at the national parliament, adoption of Law on Ombudsman, main directions of Ombudsman's activity.
The parties noted that during the establishment of Ombudsman it has had close cooperative ties with international organizations, including UNICEF. According to the report, the Authorized on Human Rights of Oliy Majlis has been undertaking an efficient cooperation with state bodies and public organizations to enforce the rights of children in Uzbekistan.
Vaaj talked about the goals and objectives of the current visit and dwelled upon the issues on interaction of state bodies, NGOs and mass media and UNICEF departments in Uzbekistan. UNICEF official has endorsed the idea to stir up contacts between Ombudsman and UNICEF structures.

WORLD BANK TO GIVE US$26.9M TO CENTRAL ASIAN STATES TO FIGHT AGAINST HIV/AIDS

The World Bank will give US$26.9 million to Central Asian countries to implement Central Asian AIDS project till 2010.
The given initiative of the World Bank was presented in Washington D.C. at the HIV/AIDS meeting for the Caribbean countries.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in the result of the meeting between 16 countries of the Caribbean and the Central Asian AIDS Control Project.
The regional meeting of Central Asian countries will be held in December of 2006 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in order to discuss HIV/AIDS project implementation related issues.
LEGISLATIVE CHAMBER DISCUSSES IODINE DEFICIENCY ISSUES

The Legislative Chamber [lower house] of Oliy Majlis [parliament] of the Republic of Uzbekistan held a roundtable conversation dedicated to iodine deficiency issue and its solution.
The event, organized by the committee of the Legislative Chamber for labour and social issues was attended by deputies of the Legislative Chamber, representatives of fractions, corresponding ministries and departments, organizations, scientists and specialists and also correspondents.
The session, conducted by the chairman of this committee, I. Nasriyev, noted that our country had developed and is consistently taking necessary measures to resolve iodine deficiency problems.
In particular, the resolution by the president of the country, Islam Karimov and the state programme, dedicated to the problems of preventive treatment of iodine deficiency, especially emphasized that this most important issue should be resolved on the legal basis.
The session examined a draft law, developed on the initiative of the country's president, "On the preventive treatment of iodine deficiency diseases", which has been submitted to the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis for consideration.
In the course of the examination of the draft law, submitted for consideration in the second reading, it was emphasized that the obligation of the iodination of salt, produced in the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan should be consolidated by law. Likewise, the meeting made the whole series of proposals and opinions regarding the inclusion of articles, aimed at improving legal bases of the preventive treatment of iodine deficiency diseases, determining liability measures of corresponding state agencies for the violation of the requirements of law on the production of iodinated salt and iodinated foodstuffs, their packaging, packing and marking, storage and realization.

ECONOMICS

ISRAELI EXPERTS CONDUCT SEMINARS WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Israeli experts on marketing and export of agricultural products conduct two five days seminars with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Uzbekistan in cooperation with Embassy of Israel and "Mashav" (Israeli centre for international cooperation) in November 2006.
The seminars, which take place in Tashkent and Samarkand, are aimed to give experience in modern methods of making agro business for Uzbek specialists. Among the trainees heads of farms and agro firms, representatives of small enterprises engaged in processing, packing and storage of fruit-and-vegetable production and agricultural products, press service of Israeli embassy told UzReport.com.
The current training is carried out by the leading Israeli experts Giora Gruper and Aviv Zisman and includes development and the modern markets of fruit and vegetables; packing and packing materials; presentation and business negotiations; strategy and marketing channels and others.
Israel shares experience in various spheres of agriculture, marketing and business, as well as many other fields which can be interested and useful for partners from Uzbekistan.
INDONESIA IS RELIABLE PARTNER OF UZBEKISTAN – BUSINESS FORUM

Uzbekistan considers Indonesia as reliable partner and the country is interested in development of relations with this Southern Asian state, the business forum of business circles of Uzbekistan and Indonesia noted on Thursday, 23 November.
Business forum was organized within framework of the visit of delegation of Indonesian National Investment Coordination Board led by director of department for empowerment of Indonesian companies Ms Arlina Ardisasmita.
The visit organized at support of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan and the Embassy of Indonesia in Uzbekistan.
The visit of Indonesian delegation directed to study investment potential of two countries and discuss perspectives of bilateral cooperation.
According to Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, Trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Indonesia made up US$4.223 million in the first half of 2006 or up 6.8 times year-on-year. The share of Uzbek export made up US$94,800 and import – US$4.129 million.
Uzbekistan mainly exports services to Indonesia and imports foodstuff, machinery and equipment and ferrous metal.
Currently, two enterprises with Indonesian capital operate in Uzbekistan and they specialize on rendering marketing services in telecommunication and hotel services.
The cooperation exchange took place in Tashkent with participation of businesses of two states. The cooperation exchange allowed businesses to consider perspectives of business cooperation, opportunities of attraction of foreign investments to create joint ventures.
The programme of the visit includes meetings with leadership of Ministry for Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade of Uzbekistan, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, State Property Committee of Uzbekistan. The delegation will visit enterprises in Tashkent, where they will acquaint with export and investment potential of various sectors of Uzbek economy. The sides will also discuss current state and perspectives on development of trade-economic cooperation between two states.

SOCIETY

UZBEKISTAN ATTENDS IMPORT SHOP BERLIN 2006

Uzbekistan participated in annual exhibition-sale of folk-fine arts products and craftsmanship Import Shop Berlin 2006 in Berlin, Germany.
Jahon news agency reported that Kahramon Shoislamov, master of Nigoriston union, represented Uzbekistan in this event.
The report said Uzbekistan demonstrated silk neckerchiefs and capes, embroidery and syuzane, miniatures, products from ceramics, caskets and handbags, which attracted attention of visitors.
Import Shop Berlin allows craftsman to demonstrate their products and their culture, as well as establish cooperation and exchange experience with colleagues worldwide.
This year, representatives of over 60 countries of the world participated in the event.

LATVIAN FILMS IN UZBEKISTAN

On the occasion of the 88th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Latvia, the Latvian Embassy in Uzbekistan, in co-operation with the municipality of Ferghana, organized the Latvian film days.
As part of the event, local children had the opportunity to watch animated films popular among Latvian children, namely, Fantadroms, Ness un Nesija, Neparastie ridzinieki (Unusual Rigans), and Kakisa dzirnavinas (The Cat's Mill).
The adults were offered such popular Latvian films as Baiga vasara (Dangerous Summer), Liktendzirnas (The Mill of Fate), and the Latvian-Estonian co-production Labas rokas (Good Hands).
The people of Ferghana showed much interest about Latvia after its restoration of independence and watched the film Good Hands with particular interest.

TURKISH SCHOLAR TOURS ALONG GREAT SILK ROAD CITIES

Scholars and figures of science and culture of various countries around the world now continue to study the history of nations, who reside on the territory through which the Great Silk Road passed at the ancient past.
Early November the teacher at the Istanbul University, scholar of art studies and film director Ms. Sema Balaman visited Bukhara with the aforesaid goal.
She traveled along China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Tuva and Kyrgyzstan. But during the trip around Uzbekistan Ms. Balaman plans to realize a big program on development of mutual relations between the neighboring countries and strengthening the ties of friendship.
On getting acquainted with ancient Bukhara she said that science has developed there and the city had a multilayered culture. Here the history, according to her, comes into harmonic interrelation with a modern life.
"What I saw in Bukhara has made me think about organizing in Turkey an exhibition of works of artists, photographers and representatives of national applied arts, as well as tours of folklore groups and modern musicians", - Ms. Balaman said.
One of her plans in the future is to shoot a film about Bakhouddin Nakshbandi along with French cultural center in Uzbekistan. The next stage of studying the Great Silk Road will be an ancient Khiva, the Turkish scholar also revealed.

EXHIBITION OF FRENCH PHOTO MASTERS HELD IN BUKHARA

Rich history of Orient people, which brought invaluable contribution to the development of world civilization, and their today's life always drew attention. It is also confirmed by exhibition of French photographers, which was held in Bukhara city creative center for development of photo art.
The expositions, organized within the framework of International exhibition "Great Silk Road", include the works of French photo masters Jacques Krena and Arthur Tvenvard. The object of their works was basically historical and architectural monuments of Eastern countries.
The French photo masters in turn familiarized with the works of local photo masters. Colleagues agreed on adjustment of an exchange of experience.