March 16, 2006

POLITICS
UZBEK-KAZAKH RELATIONS GROW STRONGER
VICE PREMIER OF UZBEKISTAN TO VISIT BISHKEK
RUSSIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS VISIT FERGHANA VALLEY

ECONOMY
UZBEKISTAN CONSIDERING ADDITIONAL SUPPLY OF GAS TO KAZAKHSTAN
KDB TO OPEN REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE IN UZBEKISTAN BY JUNE 2006
SECOND REUNION OF AZERBAIJANIS TO DEVELOP UZBEK-AZERI COOPERATION
UZBEK OFFICIALS VISIT KOREA TO STUDY SME DEVELOPMENT
ADB TO ASSIST DEVELOPMENT OF UZBEKISTAN’S
FINANCIAL SECTOR

SOCIETY
ECOSAN HOLDS CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS HUMAN FACTOR ACTIVATION ASPECTS
CULTURE
TASHKENT TO HOST FIRST NATIONAL EXHIBITION "WEDDING – 2006"
“VATAN” TO PARTICIPATE IN 8TH MOSCOW CINEMATOGRAPHY FESTIVAL

UZBEK-KAZAKH RELATIONS GROW STRONGER

The statement recently made by Uzbekistan at the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) opens up new opportunities for the country in the development of full-scale cooperation with all members of the organisation.
Today it is important to use the experience gained by the countries to strengthen cooperation in the sphere of economic development, and set new objectives for the future.

Bilateral relations with the neighbouring states, one of which is Kazakhstan earn special importance in this context. During the meeting of the leaders of the two countries in January 2006, the presidents expressed their confidence in the fact that cooperation between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan would continue to develop actively in the future.

The stable economic growth rates of the two countries require the potential of the trade and economic relations between them to be fully realised.

During the past years, foreign trade volumes between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have been increasing steadily. In Uzbekistan, the annual growth makes up 20% on average, and the volume of bilateral trade has increased by 75% during the past two years. The bilateral trade deficit recorded in 2005 has come to a balance. In 2005 the export and import volumes between the countries reached US$516 million for the first time over the 14 years of independence.

Analysts claim that the economies of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan practically do not compete against each other. Uzbekistan specialises in production of agricultural technology, aircrafts, automobiles, buses and trucks, cables, construction materials, cotton, unique fruit and vegetables, which are produced in very low volumes in Kazakhstan. Moreover, Uzbekistan supplies gas much demanded in Kazakhstan. Proving this fact, during the meeting held on 14 March in Astana, the joint intergovernmental commission for bilateral cooperation between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan discussed the issue on additional supplies of Uzbek gas. In particular, the parties looked at the issue of additional supplies to be made to the southern regions of Kazakhstan in the amount of 600 million cbm during the autumn and winter seasons.

A corresponding agreement is to be signed in the short future. An important fact to be noted is that Uzbekistan agreed to make supplies to Kazakhstan at the old price – US$55 for 1,000 cbm.

Members of Kazakh and Uzbek parties of the intergovernmental commission, as well as the officers of the two countries' ministries and departments concerned participated in the meeting. The Uzbek delegation included the First Deputy Minister for Foreign Economic Affairs, Minister of Economy, Minister of Agriculture and Water Management, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Chairman of the State Customs Committee. Kazakh party was headed by the Minister of Industry and Commerce Vladimir Shkolnik, and the Uzbek one – by the Minister of Finance Rustam Azimov.

In the course of the meeting parties discussed a number of issues concerning bilateral cooperation. In particular, the issues of the expansion of trade and economic relations, strengthening of ties in the field of agriculture, international automobile transportation, customs services, culture, as well as in the sphere of preventing and liquidating extraordinary situations were considered.

It was noted that positive shifts in bilateral cooperation took place between the eighth and ninth meetings of the commission, and growth of the trade turnover indicators was achieved. Meanwhile the participants of the meeting from both parties noted that trade and economic cooperation has not yet reached the available potential. Kazakh party proposed creating conditions for intensive trade and economic cooperation and opening access for Kazakh capital to the market of Uzbekistan. Moreover, it was suggested to activate efforts in completing the demarcation process with Uzbekistan and the negotiations on the provisions concerning the passing of Kazakh-Uzbek border, and considering the possibility of forming joint work groups for creation of a Centre of Cross-Border Cooperation near the city of Sary-Agash in southern region of Kazakhstan.

Apart from rich natural and energy resources, the two countries possess substantial scientific-technological and intellectual potential. They are partners under the Agreement on Rational Utilisation of Water and Energy Resources and have agreements on effective use of the gas pipes crossing the territories of the two countries. Besides, last year the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan and the Union of Commerce and Industry Chambers of Kazakhstan signed the Agreement on Cooperation intended to boost the creation of direct contacts between the businesses of the two countries.

As a result, the number of joint ventures has increased significantly. Coming to 2006, 87 companies with participation of Uzbek residents have been functioning in Kazakhstan. In turn, 73 companies with Kazakh investments are operating in Uzbekistan.

The presidents of the two countries issued the decrees for appropriate measures to be taken to remove the barriers on the way to developing trade and active work in this direction is continued to this day. In particular, this concerns the simplification of the procedures and unification of rules of the customs paperwork and customs control of goods and vehicles on internal borders, organisation of transit over the territories of the two states and mutual supplies of cargo.

It is especially important to mention the growing importance of cooperation in the field of transportation, as intensive growth of trade turnover results in the increased supplies of cargo: transit of Kazakh goods via Uzbekistan in the southern direction has increased by almost 20% in the last years.

It is thus expected that an intergovernmental Agreement on International Automobile Communication will be signed in the course of the official visit of the President of Kazakhstan Norsultan Nazarbaev to Uzbekistan on 19-20 March of this year. The officers of the Kazakh diplomatic mission in cooperation with the representatives of the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs will implement a set of preparatory measures for the visit. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan Tleuhan Kabdrahmanov said the visit of the Kazakh Head had a state status. In the course of the visit, it is envisioned that the countries will sign at least six documents, including the issues concerning trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation, as well as frontier regime.

The countries are actively negotiating on the subject of the border between them, an issue inherited from the Soviet times. The Councillor of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Bigaliy Turarbekov said, "Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan do not have unsolvable issues. The negotiations on delimitation of the Kazakh-Uzbek border were continued in February of the past year, and we can claim a full calendar year of work on the issue. The year was very work intensive. Four plenary meetings of the delegations and six meetings of work groups of the delegations were conducted. Field works were carried out in cooperation with the Uzbek party on over 200 kilometres of the border.

Back when the work had just started, in the late 1999, we agree on the main point: we do not have territorial claims against each other.

The agreement-based framework created by the two states covers a wide range of relations, to the point of provision of military assistance," he said.

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have many common tasks: to reduce the economy's dependency on raw materials through the organisation of competitive production sites, to diversify the export potential in favour of goods and services with high value added, to develop the integration in the world economy, to joint the row of the countries with the leading scientific-technological and innovative capacity, to implement a set of measures aimed at solving ecological problems. The governments of the two countries have to work on the issues regarding the modernisation of the sphere of telecommunications and network, creation of inter-regional transportation corridors intended to secure the transit of exported goods, especially in the southern direction, provision of employment to the population in the regions with excessive labour force, formation of single principles of legal regulation, and coordinated utilisation of both countries' potentials for the integration in the world market.

With centuries-old common traditions, history and extensive potential for the development of bilateral relations based on the principles of good neighbourliness, the two nations will undoubtedly overcome any difficulties and will further strengthen their friendship and bilateral cooperation.

VICE PREMIER OF UZBEKISTAN TO VISIT BISHKEK

The meeting of the vice premiers of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and the Minister of Healthcare of Kazakhstan will be held on 17 march at the state mansion-house Ala-Archa.

The purpose of the visit is the meeting of the Regional Administrative Committee of the Central Asia Project for Controlling HIV/AIDS.

RUSSIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS VISIT FERGHANA VALLEY

A delegation of Russian parliament headed by chairman of the Russian State Duma's Committee for CIS Affairs Anderi Kokoshin visited Ferghana, Namangan and Andijan regions of Uzbekistan.

The delegation includes representatives of Ivanovo, Yaroslavl and Nizhniy Novgorod regions. During talks in Ferghana valley, they discussed issues of development of trade, ties in agriculture, industry, medicine and other fields.

"Uzbekistan and Russia have historically been friendly and brotherly states," head of the delegation Kokoshin said. "We are witnessing huge changes in Uzbekistan today. Products manufactured and fruit grown here enjoy a huge demand in Russia. Ferghana valley has a significant potential in industry, agriculture and education. I believe cooperation with Russia will play an important role in this."

UZBEKISTAN CONSIDERING ADDITIONAL SUPPLY OF GAS TO KAZAKHSTAN

Participants of the ninth session of the joint intergovernmental commission on bilateral cooperation between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which was held in Astana on 14 March, discussed the issue of additional supply of Uzbek gas.

In particular, the sides considered the issue of additional supply of gas to the southern region of Kazakhstan in the volume of 600 million cubic metres in autumn-winter period.

Corresponding agreement will be signed soon, said at a briefing after the session finished Serik Sultangaliev, Director General of Kaztransgaz joint-stock company.

KDB TO OPEN REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE IN UZBEKISTAN BY JUNE 2006

Kazakh Development Bank (KDB) is planning to open its representative office in Uzbekistan by 1 June 2006, the ninth session of the joint intergovernmental commission on bilateral cooperation between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan said.

In particular, the commission entrusted the Central Bank and Foreign Affairs Ministry of Uzbekistan, as well as KDB to register and accredit the representative office of KDB in Tashkent, Kazinform reported.

This measure, according to members of the intergovernmental commission, will promote further development of cooperation between the two countries in banking and investment spheres.

SECOND REUNION OF AZERBAIJANIS TO DEVELOP UZBEK-AZERI COOPERATION

The second reunion of Azerbaijanis from around the world is to enclose an important contribution to the development of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

Around 60,000 Azerbaijanis currently reside on the territory of the latter country. This was acknowledged by the Director of the International Cultural Centre of Uzbekistan Nasriddin Muhammadiev, who headed the group of 17 representatives of the Azeri Diaspora of Uzbekistan that attended the reunion.

Muhammadiev said the representatives of 133 nations and ethnic groups currently lived in Uzbekistan. He also pointed out that Uzbeks and Azerbaijanis were bound by the closeness of languages and religion. "The national holidays of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are always celebrated together, and a concert dedicated to Navruz will be held on 21 March with participation of the ensemble of Azeri Diaspora "Gardaslig" emphasized the director of the cultural centre.

UZBEK OFFICIALS VISIT KOREA TO STUDY SME DEVELOPMENT

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Uzbekistan conducts the programme for small and medium enterprises promotion for nine Uzbek mid-level government officers or public organizations managers from 17 March to 1 April in Ansan city of Korea.

The organizers of the workshop are represented by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Uzbekistan and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

The programme is designed to give the participants the opportunity to understand the structure of Korean society and culture, to understand SME's contribution for economic development in Korea, to provide them with an opportunity to fully understand the expertise and experience of successful Korean SME support systems, to discuss the ways and means of small and medium enterprise promotion in participant's countries and how to enhance economic and industrial cooperation between CIS countries and Korea.

The course includes lectures on the topics of Korea's economic development, major policies for SMEs and introduction of small business corporation, development process of Korean economy and SMEs, way to strengthen economic cooperation between CIS countries and Korea and contribute to enhancing favorable relationships between the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Uzbekistan in particular.

Apart from the course, participants will get a chance to have study visits and field trips to understand the Korean industries by visiting some prominent SMEs as well as large companies.

KOICA plans to invite about 80 Uzbek officials to 26 training courses in Korea this year for the purpose of sharing its economic development experience with Uzbekistan.

ADB TO ASSIST DEVELOPMENT OF UZBEKISTAN’S FINANCIAL SECTOR

A conference stemming from an Asian Development Bank study project entitled "Development of financial sector infrastructure in Uzbekistan" was held in Beldersay in Uzbekistan from March 11-12. The conference discussed the further development of the country's finance sector, deepening the liberalisation of banking system, improving the securities market, insurance services and the creation of micro-crediting infrastructure in Uzbekistan.

The main aim of the ADB project is to assist the further development of financial sector in Uzbekistan, including the development of the banking and insurance sectors, micro-crediting institutes and the securities market.

The ADB has allocated four specialists, led by Alfred Dosti, to implement the project and local experts have also been recruited.

Abdurahim Vahobov, deputy director of the Centre of Social-Economic Research, said the research project will develop concrete recommendations in order to develop and improve Uzbek financial markets.

ECOSAN HOLDS CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS HUMAN FACTOR ACTIVATION ASPECTS

Activation of human factor is a necessary condition for the progress of material production in any socioeconomic formation. This process is determined by a complex of social, ecological, medical and hygienic aspects activating the labour activity of industrial, agricultural and other economic sphere workers.

Some difficulties of transition to the market economy exert negative influence on creation of a single system of human factor activation. Thus, weakening of employers' attention to the issues of labour protection, creation of normal conditions at workplaces, prophylaxis of diseases, medical and diagnostic examination, increase of food quality, reduction of negative influence of unfavourable production factors on workers' health results in decrease of their labour activity.

Ecosan international organisation within the framework of the first stage of Ecology and Health Days, devoted to the Year of Charity and Medical Workers, has held an international conference on "Socio-hygienic and ecological aspects of human factor activation".

The forum was aimed at the development of scientifically grounded recommendations to employers on activation of labour activity of workers in the sphere of material production on the basis of improving socio-hygienic, psycho-physiological and ecological conditions of labour process.

Representatives of ministries, departments, enterprises, medical institutions, public organisations, political parties, trade unions and members of diplomatic corps participated in the conference.

Participants noted that human factor activation and increase on its basis of production effectiveness are determined by a complex of socio-hygienic and ecological aspects. Thus, these factors should be adequate to economic and technological ones, which would promote maximum labour productivity in line with minimum expenditure of physical and psychical strength.

TASHKENT TO HOST FIRST NATIONAL EXHIBITION "WEDDING – 2006"

Le Grande Plaza hotel hosted a press conference on 14 March on the occasion of organisation of the first national exhibition "Wedding – 2006", which will be held on 30 March – 1 April.

The exhibition is organised by SSP ExpoContact unitary enterprise of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan jointly with Le Grande Plaza and Mercury Service under assistance of the Council of friendship and cultural-enlightenment ties societies of Uzbekistan with foreign countries, as well as with official support of Justice Ministry, Tashkent city Justice Department.

The event is aimed at providing visitors with the opportunity to familiarise with all latest trends of modern wedding organisation. Visitors of the exhibition will see the latest fashionable tendencies on the organisation of compact wedding festivities.

The exhibition will present services on the organisation of weddings, wedding dress, accessories, evening dress, video and photo shooting, floristic, cakes, wedding voyages, fancy products, household appliances, juices and soft drinks, etc.

Organiser of weddings in Le Grande Plaza Mahbuba Alieva has great experience in the organisation and holding of weddings since 1978. "Wedding is one of most important days in the life of everyone. It is an unforgettable triumph of love and happiness for enamoured and their relatives and friends. It is necessary to exert lots of efforts to organise a wedding at a high level with least expenses," she said.

“VATAN” TO PARTICIPATE IN 8TH MOSCOW CINEMATOGRAPHY FESTIVAL

Uzbekfilm studio has finished the shooting of a feature movie about the Great Patriotic War (Second World War). Uzbekkino Company, one of the main sponsors of the picture said the psychological drama entitled "Vatan" (Homeland) has become one of the largest scale and most expensive projects of the Uzbek cinematography. In April of this year, Vatan will participate in the 8th Moscow Cinematography Festival of the CIS and Baltic countries.
The scenario of the Uzbek blockbuster about war is based on the story about two young men from a small village in the suburb area of Uzbekistan, who end up going to the front in the very first days of war. One of them is taken prisoner in the Nazi captivity, and the second one returns from war and becomes the officer of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs (PCIA). Both have fiances waiting for them in the home villages. After the war, the first man ends up imprisoned in the Stalin's Head Department for Correctional-Labour Camps, Labour Villages, and Imprisonment Sites, the second one trades his friend and migrates to the USA. According to the scenario, the actors (depending on the ethic origin) speak in three languages Uzbek, Russian and German.

Specifically for the purpose of shooting the movie directed by Zulfikor Musakov, the settings of a German concentration camp were built on the shooting site of the Uzbekfilm studio. The battle scenes with participation of the military men of the Uzbek army were shot in the suburbs of Tashkent city. Some scenes were made in the USA.

The producers of the movie say it includes everything it could possibly include - love, betrayal, bloody war scenes, patriotism and even vengeance. Russian audience will have the chance to see the movie on the threshold of the 61st anniversary of the Great Victory.