June 19, 2009
Politics:
President receives IMF Managing Director
Islam Karimov meets Hu Jintao
SCO leaders consider economic cooperation, security
Legislative Chamber discusses new laws
Economics:
Roundtable discusses new standards of evaluation
New venture to produce PVC in Navoi
Two Uzbek-Korean ventures start exploration of quartz and quartzite deposits
Society:
Useful vacations
Virtual excursion to museum available
POLICY
PRESIDENT RECEIVES IMF MANAGING DIRECTOR
President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov received International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn in Tashkent on June 18, National News Agency UzA reported.
The head of the state said the visit of the IMF Managing Director to Uzbekistan was a good opportunity to define priority and prospective directions of cooperation.
Uzbekistan became the member of the IMF in 1992. The financial institution opened its representative office in Tashkent in 1993.
In accordance with article IV of the IMF Charter the institution’s mission visits Uzbekistan every year to hold talks on cooperation in development of banking and financial system, improvement of the monetary and credit policy and strengthening macroeconomic stability.
The December 2008 mission stated that, despite global economic crisis, Uzbekistan had retained economic stability, ensured GDP growth and positive surplus in foreign trade.
The IMF experts underline that Uzbekistan has all signs to reach positive economic results this year.
At the meeting with Islam Karimov, Dominique Strauss-Kahn said the IMF would continue cooperating with Uzbekistan in issues of softening the influence of the global economic crisis and further development of the economy.
The sides also considered other issues of relations between Uzbekistan and the IMF.
ISLAM KARIMOV MEETS HU JINTAO
President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov, who is in Yekaterinburg for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, met the Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao on June 15.
During the meeting, the sides noted that the Uzbek-Chinese relations were developing in the spirit of the Interstate agreement on partnership relations, friendship and cooperation signed in 2005.
“We highly value the developing cooperation with China,” Islam Karimov said.
“This meeting is a good opportunity to exchange opinions on the issues of bilateral cooperation,” Hu Jintao said.
The heads of tow states considered development of cooperation between Uzbekistan and China, cooperation within international organizations and other issues of mutual interest.
The relations between Uzbekistan and China, based on the principles of friendship, mutual interest, trust and respect, are developing dynamically in all spheres.
An important factor is the closeness of views of the heads of the two states on issues of cooperation, as well as regional and international problems.
In the framework of the financial cooperation, the interest-free and long-term credits of the Chinese government and export credits of the Eximbank of China are helping implement the projects in social sphere and infrastructure development in Uzbekistan.
The investment cooperation in the oil and gas sector is also developing. The Chinese National Petroleum Corporation is conducting geological survey works in the Aral Sea Area, Ustyurt, Bukhara, Khiva and Ferghana investment blocks.
223 Uzbek-Chinese joint ventures are operating in Uzbekistan, and 44 companies of China have their representative offices in the country.
SCO LEADERS CONSIDER ECONOMIC COOPERATION, SECURITY
President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov took part in the session of the Council of heads of states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization held on 15-16 June in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
The summit started with the meeting of the heads of states in the limited circle. Presidents of Uzbekistan, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan participated in the meeting.
They discussed coordination of joint activities to soften the influence of the world financial crisis in SCO member states, cooperation in strengthening security, situation in Afghanistan and other issues.
Islam Karimov put forward the proposal to create a new international mechanism under the UN aegis to solve the Afghan problem – the 6+3 Contact Group consisting of six states neighboring Afghanistan and representatives of Russia, USA and NATO.
The President noted that it was important to demonstrate full respect to the deep historical roots of the multilational people of Afghanistan, to all confessions and traditional values of Islam, and reach the necessary consensus within the country.
The SCO leaders also considered issues of development of the organization, improvement of the activity of its structures and expansion of cooperation with observer states and other regional structures.
In the expanded session of the council, representatives of the observer states participated, including Indian Prime Minister, President of Iran, President of Pakistan, First Vice Premier of Mongolia and as a guest of the summit President of Afghanistan.
The participants considered further development of the SCO, cooperation in srtengthening financial, power, information, environmental and food security, economic, scientific, technical and humanitarian cooperation.
At the end fo the summit, the SCO leaders signed the Yekaterinburg declaration, the Convention against terrorism and other documents.
The Republic of Uzbekistan assumed the chairmanship in the SCO until the organization’s next summit in 2010.
LEGISLATIVE CHAMBER DISCUSSES NEW LAWS
Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan held a session to review several draft laws at it session on 16-17 June 2009.
MPs considered a draft law "On protection and use of archeological heritage objects". The law is directed to regulate issues on studying, preserving and use of archeological heritage objects in Uzbekistan. After discussions, the law was approved and directed to the Senate for approval.
Representatives of lower house of the Uzbek parliament discussed draft law "On electricity", which determines main direction of the state policy on electricity, authorities of the state bodies, etc.
MPs entrusted corresponding committee of the chamber to review some norms in draft law and submit it to Legislative Chamber for consideration.
ECONOMY
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSES NEW STANDARDS OF EVALUATION
A roundtable in Tashkent discussed new standards on evaluation of business, real estate and privatized object. New standards were developed in cooperation of UNDP and State Property Committee of Uzbekistan, Uzreport Information Portal reported.
Representatives of State Property Committee, UNDP, ministries and departments, evaluation firms, banks, audit firms, insurers and other participated at the presentation of new standards.
Marina Vanina, director of Osiyo Expert evaluation firm, said improvement of national standards, used in evaluation activity in Uzbekistan, will allow to use firm and clear references on property evaluation and effective protection of interests of market participants.
She said Uzbekistan has over 10 evaluation standards, including seven main and three additional ones, is one of the most perfect in Central Asia and the CIS regions.
After discussion, national standards will set firm and clear requirements on property evaluation, set single terms, rules and norms in evaluation of the property, enterprise and business, privatized objects, etc.
According to experts, adoption of new standards will improve quality and efficiency of evaluation services in Uzbekistan.
NEW VENTURE TO PRODUCE PVC IN NAVOI
Navoiazot and ISU Corp. (South Korea) created a new joint venture ISU Navoi Chemical on production of PVC, Uzreport Information portal reported.
The sides inked constituent documents and the construction of the plant will start in the second half of 2009.
The venture will produce 50,000 tonnes of PVC and 32,000 tonnes of hydrate of sodium per year. The project will be realized in two years.
The project will be financed due to credits, attracted by the Korean firm for US$90 million, and the credit of Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan for US$80 million and own resources of Navoiazot for US$10 million.
TWO UZBEK-KOREAN VENTURES START EXPLORATION OF QUARTZ AND QUARTZITE DEPOSITS
Two joint ventures with South Korean investors started exploration works at quartz and quartzite deposits in Uzbekistan.
The ventures will carry out exploration works within three years and they will invest US$1.5 million to each project.
It is expected that the construction of the enterprise on production of poly- and mono-crystal of silicon will be launched at Navoi free industrial and economic zone.
The Committee on Geology and Mineral Resources of Uzbekistan created the joint venture Uz-Kor Silicon LLC with South Korea's NeoPLANT and Uz-Shindong Silicon with Shindong Enercom Inc. in 2008.
Uz-Kor Silicon LLC will explore and develop deposits of quartz and quartzite at Tolaqul and Quduq deposits in Kashkadarya region and Sarykkul deposit in Samarqand region.
Uz-Shindong Silicon will carry out geology exploration works on business risks conditions to determine deposits of quartz and quartzite at Zargar, Usmat and Turkman fields in Jizzakh region.
SOCIETY
USEFUL VACATIONS
With the beginning of summer holidays, the children’s health camps began implementation of the “Summer 2009” Program of the Ministry of Public Education.
The program aims at organizing children’s leisure time during summer vacations. During its implementation, circles on 500 directions of out-of-school education were organized across Uzbekistan. They function within children’s health camps, schools summer play grounds, and in centers of out-of-school education.
VIRTUAL EXCURSION TO MUSEUM AVAILABLE
Tashkent International Westminster University jointly with the Savitskiy Arts Museum organized a presentation of multimedia CD “Virtual excursion through Karakalpakstan State Museum of Arts after Igor Savitsky”.
Henceforth, owing to this CD, everyone who wishes could listen to stories on collections kept in the Savitskiy Museum, its fine art articles and opinions of specialists about the museum in Uzbek, Russian and English languages.
The project was initiated at the aim to improve the Museum’s activity. During independence years, its collection has been filled up with hundreds of valuable exhibits depicting rich culture of Uzbek and Karakalpak peoples, their national values. According to project’s authors, it will favour wide propagation of the rich history, ancient traditions and values, increasing youth knowledge level in sphere of fine art, familiarization of specialists and scientists, art amateurs and tourists with the museum collections.