June 24, 2009

Politics:
President receives France’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan
Tashkent Forum Addresses Regional and Global Security
Economics:
Uzbekistan, Korea expand cooperation in development of innovations
Navoi-Based Companies Extend Export Potential
Uzbekistan joins International Renewable Energy Agency
Society:
Inspectors discuss issues of preventing crimes against women
Labor semester takes start

POLICY

PRESIDENT RECEIVES FRANCE’S SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN

President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov receives France’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Pierre Lallouche in Tashkent on June 23, National News Agency UzA reported.

The head of the state the meeting was a good opportunity to consider issues of cooperation between Uzbekistan and France in ensuring regional security and stability in Central Asia, as well as settling the situation in Afghanistan.

The sides discussed the efforts of the international community in strengthening stability and development in Afghanistan. In this context, Islam Karimov noted that the Afghan problem could not be solved using military means.

The priority issues to be solved are reconstruction of the economy destroyed by the war, renewal of the communications and social infrastructure, involvement of the Afghan people in this process, reaching internal consensus and strengthening the authorities.

Pierre Lallouche noted that France considered Uzbekistan to be a key partner in Central Asia and was interested in development of mutually beneficial cooperation in all directions.

Islam Karimov and Pierre Lallouche also considered the state and perspectives of Uzbek-French relations in the political, economic and humanitarian sphere, as well as important regional and international problems.

TASHKENT FORUM ADDRESSES REGIONAL AND GLOBAL SECURITY

On June 17-18 this year the city of Tashkent hosted the international conference “Afghanistan: problems of stabilization and prospects for reconstruction”, the Narodnoye slovo Russian-language newspaper reported June 20.

The Fund for Regional Policy along with the U.S.-based John Marshall European Center for Security Studies is reported to have organized the said forum.

Over 20 foreign experts from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, India, U.S., Russia, Germany, UK, Switzerland, Slovenia, Japan, South Korea and states of Central Asia, as well as the representatives of a number of foreign diplomatic missions to Uzbekistan and international organizations accredited in Uzbekistan participated at the conference.

The experts, who spoke at the forum, have comprehensively discussed the issues of military and political situation in Afghanistan, socio-economic and ethnic-cultural aspects of addressing the Afghan problem, international approaches towards ensuring security and stability in Afghanistan, as well as the role of neighboring countries in recovering the social and economic infrastructure of that country.

Also, during the floor debates the delegates to conference noted the enormous potential in Uzbekistan’s initiatives in terms of settling the conflict in Afghanistan, stabilizing the political, social and economic situation in the country. The participants of the conference have said that Uzbekistan’s approaches towards addressing the Afghan crisis sought a greater support of the international community.

In this context, the delegates have underscored that taking into account the historical experience and unfolding situation in Afghanistan, there was not for a military war of addressing the existing problem.

The experts, who took a floor, pinpointed to the priority of rendering a purposeful economic aid to Afghanistan, addressing the acute problems of poverty and providing for an employment, constructing and establishing the economic and social infrastructure of the country. They have noted Uzbekistan’s contribution to comprehensively promoting the social and economic recovery of Afghanistan.

The experts believed that the respectful attitude towards national and religious values, traditions and customs of the Afghan people stood as a necessary condition of all stabilization and reconstruction efforts.

The participants of the conference have also believed that the Afghans themselves ought to be involved in settlement of the conflict in Afghanistan.

The delegates to the conference have underscored that Uzbekistan’s initiative in terms of establishing the 6+3 Contact Group, comprising of Afghanistan’s immediate neighbors, the U.S., Russian Federation and NATO, given the UN’s coordinating role was the most effective mechanism of dealing with Afghanistan’s recovery as much as of a political dialogue between all confronting sides inside Afghanistan.

For the first time that initiative has been enunciated by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov at the NATO/EAPC Summit in Bucharest in Romania in 2008. Later it was actively discussed during various regional and international forums, including at the SCO Ekaterinburg summit.

The participants of the conference concluded that the solution of the many years-long conflict in Afghanistan has stood as the most important condition of ensuring regional and global security. The peace in Afghanistan will open up the broad opportunities for a sustainable economic development, long-standing stability in Central and South Asia.

ECONOMY

UZBEKISTAN, KOREA EXPAND COOPERATION IN DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIONS

Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan signed an agreement on cooperation with Korean Association of Industry, Academic and Research Institutes on June 23, Uzreport Information Portal reported.

Alisher Shaykhov, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, said the agreement is aimed at determining cooperation directions of interaction between industrial companies, first of all small and medium businesses, research and academic institutes to develop innovation.

The agreement also envisages creation of joint ventures between Uzbek and Korean companies to introduce innovations based on researches, including Uzbek institutions.

Shaykhov said that over 200 companies of South Korea expressed interest in cooperation of joint projects, which were developed in Uzbekistan. He said that Korean firms will be also invited to innovation fair, which will be held in Tashkent next year.

It is expected that the sides will create special committee on cooperation on introduction of innovations, based on developments of the Uzbek and Korean research institutes and cooperation among small and medium businesses of two states.

NAVOI-BASED COMPANIES EXTEND EXPORT POTENTIAL

The Navoi Province achieves the considerable results on developing the light industry, producing competitive output and raising the employment level of population, according to the Information Agency Jahon.

In 2008 the products worth UZS 77.7 billion were manufactured in the light industry. All capabilities are being used to raise those indicators for this year, as well. At the moment, 128 companies are operating in the area, including the “Bakht textile”, “Navbakhor textile” and “Velan”.

“Over 100 young men and women have been provided with jobs,” the director of the Bakht textile Navoi Joint Venture Kabul Tursunov. “We process 7,5 tons of cotton fiber per a year and export the yarn to such countries as Russia, Turkey, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. With turning the company to its full power capacity we will be able to raise its export potential, and its currency reserves are going to account for 13-14 million US dollars. And yet the number of employees will make up to 400.”

UZBEKISTAN JOINS INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY

German Federal Foreign Office hosted a ceremony of signing of the Statute of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) by Uzbekistan. The Ambassador of Uzbekistan in Germany, Bakhtiyar Gulyamov signed the Statute of IRENA.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) was officially established in Bonn on 26 January 2009. Up-to-date, 104 States have signed the Statute of the Agency.

Mandated by these governments worldwide, IRENA aspires to become the main driving force for promoting a rapid transition towards the widespread and sustainable use of renewable energy on a global scale.

As the global voice for renewable energies, IRENA envisages providing practical advice and support for both industrialised and developing countries, thereby helping to improve frameworks and build capacity.

Moreover, the Agency intends to facilitate access to all relevant information, including reliable data on the potentials for renewable energy, best practices, effective financial mechanisms, and state-of-the-art technological expertise.

SOCIETY

INSPECTORS DISCUSS ISSUES OF PREVENTING CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN

On 23-25 June 2009 in Tashkent, UNDP has held a second phase of the training for district police officers of Tashkent on "The role of the district police officers in prevention of human trafficking and family conflicts", organized in collaboration with Women's Committee of Uzbekistan and Ministry of Interior Affairs.

The main goal of the training is to determine measures of preventing crimes against women, including human trafficking and family conflicts, studying legislation and solving problems related to the issue, monitoring of practical activity of training participants.

The first phase of the training was held in April 2009, and participants received homework to analyze cases on related crimes, which are to be presented in the second phase of the training.

During the training, participants will exchange opinions and experience on crime against women. Participants will tell about their work on the cases and will also determine further actions based on their achievements and shortages.

The UNDP project "Legislative and Institutional Capacity Development for Women's Empowerment in Uzbekistan" is implemented in collaboration with the Women's Committee of Uzbekistan. The project is aimed at supporting and building capacity of the government, civil society and mass media in reducing the gender gaps via raising awareness on and implementing the recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) to Uzbekistan given in August 2006.

The CEDAW Convention adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly is an international document on the rights of women. Uzbekistan was one of the first Central Asian countries to ratify the convention in 1995. It has reported four times to the CEDAW Committee on its implementation.

LABOR SEMESTER TAKES START

It is the third year in a row Kamolot Civic Youth Movement of Uzbekistan is implementing a project for summer recreation of young people, who gather Bunedkor (the creator) youth teams.

The organizers created conditions to ensure each participant to be employed in summer holidays. An important element of this project is that these teams make young activists closer for the improvement of the native land, they can feel like a unified force that can bring much to the prosperity of their home country.

“A database of temporarily vacant jobs throughout the country has been created for more than ten thousand students and young people. Currently, there are bids from Bunedkor youth squads wanting to participate in the project, special units have been created at regional offices of the movement. To date, more than 6 thousand young people expressed wish to join “summer teams”. And I am sure their number will be even higher, because summer has only just begun. Besides, I‘d like to note that the scope of the project has expanded. Now, these units welcome not only university students, but those from colleges and academic lyceums. And they can choose any area of activity – building, education, agriculture, services,” explains Project Coordinator Alisher Otajonov.

There are conditions created in regions for effective work, accommodation and recreation of members of Bunedkor groups. They will be provided with hot meal, clothing. Mobile libraries and medical centers are available for students. In order to fill their spare time with entertainment content, various cultural and educational activities, concerts and meetings are organized for students.

As organizers of the project say, this year it will cover about 50 higher education institutions across the country, as well as academic lyceums and professional colleges. Participation in the project will give young people a good life training, work skills and discipline. So, the summer for active young people will be hot, and the rest will not only be pleasant but also useful.