July 23, 2008
Politics:
President Meets Emir of State of Kuwait in Tashkent
President Receives US Envoy to Tashkent, Sides Discuss Ties
President of Uzbekistan receives Japanese Finance minister
Economics:
Business delegation of Thailand visits Uzbekistan to boost cooperation
Uzbekistan provides good opportunities for foreign investors - Mexican envoy
Uzbek Car Plant Turns 12, Expands Production Power
Bukhara-Based Romitantex JV Opens Trading House in Russia
Uzbek-Chinese Joint Venture Launched in Samarkand
Society:
Uzbek Youth Tours along Tashkent as City to Mark Jubilee
Uzbek pedagogues learn experience of Deutsch colleagues
Roundtable Addresses NGO’s Economic & Legal Guarantees
Roundtable in Tashkent Addresses Women’s Rights & Interests
4.000 Graduates Get Jobs At Labor Fairs In Khorezm
POLICY
PRESIDENT MEETS EMIR OF STATE OF KUWAIT IN TASHKENT
On July 21 the Emir of State of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber as-Sabah arrived in Uzbekistan on an official visit. The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov met the high-level guest at the Tashkent Airport.
At the Durmen Residence in Tashkent the official ceremony of meeting the Emir of State of Kuwait was held, Jahon Information Agency reported.
At the tete-a-tete meeting Islam Karimov and Sheikh al-Ahmad al-Jaber as-Sabah exchanged views related to the Uzbek-Kuwaiti relations and the problems of international and regional importance of mutual interest.
Welcoming the top-level guest President said that Kuwait was one of the closest and reliable partners of Uzbekistan in the region of Persian Gulf. President noted that this visit of the Emir of State of Kuwait was the logical continuation of the Al-Kuwait summit held in 2004. He also expressed the confidence that the talks in Tashkent would expand the scale of bilateral cooperation and enrich it with new substance.
Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber as-Sabah thanked Islam Karimov for extending invitation to visit Uzbekistan and said that this visit paved way to comprehensively exchange views on the urgent issues related to bilateral relations, current stage and prospects of cooperation.
Following the tete-a-tete talks the two leaders have joined the rest of delegation to proceed on their roundtable negotiations that covered all spheres of cooperation between the two states.
The trade, economic and investment cooperation plays an important role in the Uzbek-Kuwaiti relations. Uzbekistan gradually extends ties with the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED). In 1997 the Fund allotted USD 19.8 million-worth loans to implement the project on water supply to Nukus and Urgench towns in Uzbekistan. In 2004 at the Al-Kuwait summit the Government of Uzbekistan and KFAED inked the memorandum of cooperation that envisaged the allocation of USD 215 million to finance nine projects on water and energy supply, irrigation and construction.
Uzbekistan established the close cooperation with KFAED in the framework of Arab Coordination Group. At the meeting of the Group held last year in Tashkent the sides considered 26 projects related to the spheres of education, health, agriculture and water economy, energy, chemical industry, communal services, construction and metallurgy.
In sum, if the official visit of Islam Karimov to Kuwait in 2004 served for establishing the legal basis of bilateral relations then during the current top-level visit of the Emir of State of Kuwait to Tashkent such basis has been further consolidated. Besides, the sides secured the arrangements which would take the bilateral relations up to a new level.
PRESIDENT RECEIVES US ENVOY TO TASHKENT, SIDES DISCUSS TIES
On July 22 this year the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Uzbekistan Richard Norland, Jahon Information Agency reported.
President said that the meeting has served as a good opportunity to exchange views on the issues of mutual interest. The Uzbek Leader has also said that the US Ambassador to Uzbekistan, who has embarked on his mission in September 2007, for over the past period closely learnt about the life in the country.
“You have collected material on the real situation in Uzbekistan which differs from those that the US obtains from other sources”, - President Islam Karimov said. “This is a main factor in extending cooperation based on mutual trust”.
Ambassador Norland thanked President for the warm welcome and noted the development of bilateral relations between Uzbekistan and the United States. He expressed confidence that the bilateral cooperation would further be extended gradually on mutually beneficial basis.
According to the U.S. Ambassador, at the moment, it is important to strengthen the mutual trust between the two states, develop the cooperation on regional security, and particularly, the issues related to restoring Afghanistan. At the same time, Ambassador Norland said that the sides needed to continue cooperation in carrying out the economic reforms in Uzbekistan, implementing the joint projects on humanitarian sphere and interacting on promoting human rights.
During the talks in Tashkent the sides exchanged views on further extending the bilateral relations between Uzbekistan and the United States.
PRESIDENT OF UZBEKISTAN RECEIVES JAPANESE FINANCE MINISTER
President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov received Japanese Finance minister Fukushiro Nukaga on July 18 in Tashkent.
Welcoming the guest, the head of the state said he highly valued the developing Uzbek-Japanese ties, UzA reported.
“Your visit is a logical development of our cooperation and a good opportunity to discuss issues of bilateral relations,” Islam Karimov said.
The Finance minister of Japan said his country was interested in development of relations with Uzbekistan.
The sides considered issues related to expansion of trade-economic and investment cooperation between the two states.
Uzbekistan and Japan signed a Joint statement of friendship, strategic partnership and cooperation in 2002. In 1994, Uzbek-Japanese and Japanese-Uzbek economic cooperation committees were set up, and they conduct regular sessions.
Offices of the Japan International Cooperation Agency and Japanese External Trade Organization function in Tashkent.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Japan invested about USD 2 billion in the economy of Uzbekistan. In particular, the Japanese government issued USD 910 million within the Official development assistance program, and USD 820 million for the development of fuel and energy complex and textile industry through the commercial credits of the Japanese International Bank for Cooperation.
More than 10 large projects with participation of Japanese investments are being implemented in Uzbekistan. One of them is production of Isuzu buses, trucks and cranes at Samarkand automobile plant.
22 large Japanese corporations have representative offices in Uzbekistan, among them are Mitsui, Mitsubisi, Nishe Ivai and others. A number of joint ventures operate in machinery, light industry, internal and foreign trade, transport services and tourism.
ECONOMY
BUSINESS DELEGATION OF THAILAND VISITS UZBEKISTAN TO BOOST COOPERATION
Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan Alisher Shaikhov met with the delegation of Thailand headed by the Deputy Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ministry Charivat Santaputra in Tashkent on July 22.
Issues of bilateral cooperation between Uzbekistan and Thailand, including the cooperation within international organizations, were discussed during the meeting. The sides also considered separate aspects of boosting relations between the two countries in such spheres, as tourism, banking, trade and others, Uzreport Business Information Portal reported.
The sides have reached an agreement on exchange of information on the opportunities of cooperation between the countries, planning of investments, experience exchange, export and import development.
During the meeting, the Thai side interested in participation in exhibitions organized in Uzbekistan. It is planned to send a business delegation of Uzbekistan for holding bilateral meetings and to organize a visit by Thai delegation of an exhibition held in Uzbekistan.
Moreover, the sides have agreed to boost cooperation in electrical industry, agricultural machinery production, building materials manufacture, silk industry, production of spare parts for mobile phones.
The Thai side said it was ready to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of hotel and restaurant management, supply of sea products in Uzbekistan, opening spa saloons and restaurants of Thai cuisine, raising knowledge of people about culture, traditions and history of Thailand.
Foreign trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Thailand made up US$8.1 million in 2007, including US$2.6 million of exports and US$5.5 million of imports. Uzbekistan exports mainly transport services and chemical products, while imports from Thailand comprise plastic, mechanical and electrical equipment, polygraph items, optical devices, etc.
Cooperation in the sphere of tourism is developing as well, generally through the visits of Uzbek tourists of Thailand seaside resorts. A representative office of Uzbekistan Airways has been working in Bangkok since 1993. At present the Uzbek airline company performs five regular flights a week en route Tashkent-Bangkok-Tashkent.
UZBEKISTAN PROVIDES GOOD OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOREIGN INVESTORS - MEXICAN ENVOY
Last week the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of Mexico to the Republic of Uzbekistan with the residence in Islamabad Arturo Hernandez-Basave visited Uzbekistan.
During his visit Ambassador Hernandez-Basave held meetings at Oliy Majlis (parliament), ministries, agencies and establishments of Uzbekistan, as well as visited one of the ancient cities of the country – Samarkand, Jahon information agency reported.
Mexico is an industrial and agrarian country, but still – one of the most developed Latin American states. In 2007 Mexico's GDP made up US$1.346 trillion.
The United States of Mexico recognized Uzbekistan's independence on 26 December 1991. On 16 March 1992, Uzbekistan and Mexico established diplomatic relations. At the moment, the two states actively develop cooperation in the sphere of politics, economy, culture and others.
Mexico considers Uzbekistan as a key state in Central Asia, according to Ambassador Hernandez-Basave. The political stability being preserved in Uzbekistan for over the 17 years allowed to secure tangible economic results and accomplish the gradual reforms in social and legal spheres.
"At the moment, our states are working out the new plans aimed at further extending the multilateral cooperation. Taking into account the modern level of technological development the distances between the countries are not a matter of principle. Uzbekistan has a big economic potential and presents favorable opportunities for attracting foreign investments. No doubt, this factor cannot but attract the attention of Mexican business people," the Mexican diplomat said.
"During my visit to Uzbekistan I held very productive talks with the Uzbek partners. In particular, at the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade we discussed the project related to exchanging the specialists to learn about the opportunities and better the trading skills between our countries," the Mexican Ambassador said.
"As a part of my stay I visited the unique museum in the open air – the charming Samarkand. I and my family are still living under impression of what we have seen in this town. I also liked Tashkent. It is a green, cozy, friendly city. I tour along the world many times but Tashkent is peculiar and attracts with bright colors, and hospitable people. I think this is the similarity between the Mexicans and Uzbeks. I need to draw one more thing that I have observed during my visit: the Uzbeks are very cheerful and smiling people. Only the nation that lives happy and believes in the future can be like that," Ambassador Hernandez-Basave said.
UZBEK CAR PLANT TURNS 12, EXPANDS PRODUCTION POWER
This year the Asaka automobile building plant in Andijan marks the 12th anniversary. On July 19, 1996 Uzbekistan became one of the 28 car making nations in the world, according to the agencies.
Lacetti, Nexia, Matiz and Damas of the Asaka plant are in big demand not only in Uzbekistan but also abroad. This year the Uzbek car makers began manufacturing the new brands of Chevrolet Captiva, Epica and Tacuma.
Uzbekistan now exports these vehicles to such countries as Russia, the Ukraine, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The cars are popular thanks to their technical features, design, and optimal quality-price ratio.
The plant annually increases the production volume. If in 2002 34.000 cars were produced, then 2007 the plant manufactured – 170.000 cars. In the nearest time the Uzbek car makers plan to switch the plant onto a full manufacturing power and produce 200.000 cars per year.
Today’s automobile manufacturing industry of Uzbekistan covers various companies. Many joint ventures on producing the component parts such as bumpers, instrumental panels, sittings, enamel body paints, body sealers, and others were established. Private producers also manufacture a big list of component details that meet the requirements of GM Uzbekistan Joint Venture.
The partnership of the Uzbek automobile plant with the world’s leader – the General Motors Corporation created the conditions for attracting into sphere the modern technologies, new jobs and expanding the product list.
BUKHARA-BASED ROMITANTEX JV OPENS TRADING HOUSE IN RUSSIA
The Romitantex Bukhara Limited Liability Company which manufactures towels opened its own Trading House in Novosibirsk in Russia, Jahon Information Agency quoting the Narodnoye slovo newspaper.
According to the Romitantex Deputy Director Farkhod Khayriev, it allows the company to learn demand and supply in foreign markets and taking into account the monitoring practice to operatively meet the consumer needs. It is not surprising that the company products are in high demand both in Uzbekistan and abroad.
The company now employs 80 workers. In six months the volume of company exports accounted for USD 203.600. By late this year it is going to increase such index by 1.6 times.
Romitantex is one of the main founders of the Uzbek-Russian-Kazakh Textile Spektrum colors diversified joint enterprise. Its first line – the thread producing workshop – will start its operations in January 2009. The bulk of the finished products will be delivered as raw to a towel workshop but and still the remaining part of it will be exported.
UZBEK-CHINESE JOINT VENTURE LAUNCHED IN SAMARKAND
The Chemping-plast Uzbek-Chinese joint venture was launched at the Urgut District in Samarkand Province, the Pravda Vostoka newspaper reported.
The new JV is supplied with modern equipment to manufacture shoes. Over ten of young men and women were employed. The enterprise will produce 50.000 pair of men’s, women’s and children’s shoes per year. At the moment, the goods produced at the company are delivered to domestic market. The enterprise is going to export its goods in the future since it plans to increase its production capacity.
With launching of enterprise the number of joint ventures operating in the district rose up to 21.
SOCIETY
UZBEK YOUTH TOURS ALONG TASHKENT AS CITY TO MARK JUBILEE
The first stage of charity campaign was held in Tashkent as a part of implementing the Year of Youth State program and preparations to forthcoming 2200th anniversary of the Uzbek capital due in May 2009.
“Tashkent through the eyes of youth” was the motto of the event, according to the Narodnoye slovo newspaper.
The Central Council of Kamolot Public Youth Movement alongside with the youth tourist organization Kamolot-Turne affiliate company initiated the campaign.
For over the course of campaign over 150 children from around Tashkent visited the historical places of worth in the city: the Kukaldash Madrassah, the complexes of Khazrati Imam, Kaffal Shoshiy, as well as the modern architectural monuments of independence. They were accompanied by professional guides who told about Tashkent’s rich cultural historical heritage. They also received booklets with photographs of the old and modern Tashkent.
“The main goal of campaign is to shape in forthcoming generation the sense of love to Homeland, respect to its invaluable culture and history, which serves an important factor in upbringing the youth”, - the Kamolot-Turne director Khilola Makhmudova said. “And such events promote this. We have been cooperating with Kamolot Public Youth Movement for a long time and our work is aimed at not only developing the youth tourism but also to raise Uzbekistan’s prestige in the world tourist market given the potential of the Uzbek youth”.
According to the campaign initiators, its second stage is due late July. This time the participants of an unforgettable tour along Tashkent will be the children from around Uzbekistan.
UZBEK PEDAGOGUES LEARN EXPERIENCE OF DEUTSCH COLLEAGUES
The heads and teaching faculty of colleges around Uzbekistan attended the courses on raising the level of skills in Germany as a part of the Uzbek-Swiss project "Developing professional skills".
They visited the educational establishments in Bonn and Berlin to learn experience of cooperation of professional schools and enterprises, Jahon information agency reported quoting Pravda Vostoka newspaper.
Besides, the Uzbek delegation examined how the German youth strengthened its theoretical knowledge at regional training centers and special workshops of enterprises led by highly skilled specialists and pedagogues.
The delegation members visited the Ministry of Federal Education and Research, labor exchange, the Opel Car Service Center, as well as the international professional education and training office.
They learnt how to coordinate the joint work of enterprises, trade unions and educational establishments and while studying the new branches to synchronize their development with professional education and elaboration of academic programs and plans.
ROUNDTABLE ADDRESSES NGO’S ECONOMIC & LEGAL GUARANTEES
The roundtable on economic and legal guarantees of developing the non-state non-profit organizations (non-governmental organizations) and institutions of civil society, as well as priority directions of protecting the rights and interests of women was held in Samarkand, the Uzbekistan National News Agency reported.
The Samarkand branch of the Institute for Civil Society Studies alongside with the Kamolot Public Youth Movement Regional Council and Adolat Social-Democratic Party held the roundtable.
The event was held as a part of measures aimed at implementing the President’s Decree of May 1, 2008 “On the Action Program dedicated to the 60th Anniversary of Adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”.
The representatives of relevant agencies, establishments, law-enforcement bodies, political parties and non-state non profit organizations took part at the roundtable.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the first international document that Uzbekistan joined after gaining its sovereignty. The principles put forward in this document are reflected in the Constitution and laws of Uzbekistan. The ongoing work aimed at raising the status of women in Uzbekistan, protecting their rights and interests, and further expanding their participation in public life are now bearing tangible results.
Uzbekistan pays a particular attention to propagating among public and making people, and particularly, the youth aware of the significance and essence of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
ROUNDTABLE IN TASHKENT ADDRESSES WOMEN’S RIGHTS & INTERESTS
The roundtable on the topic “Protection of rights and interests of women during the years of independence” was held at the Institute for Civil Society Studies in Tashkent, according to the Narodnoye slovo newspaper.
The event organized by the Institute along with several other public organizations gathered the lawmakers at the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, members of political parties, representatives of ministries of justice, internal affairs, labor and social protection of population, Women’s Committee, Office of Prosecutor General, and women’s non-state non-profit organizations.
The delegates to the roundtable have said that the end goal of such important process as democratization and renewal of society, modernization and reforming the country now led by President is to guarantee the rights and interests of people.
At the focus of constant attention of the Uzbek Leader are the issues of creating the necessary social, political and economic conditions and opportunities to stir up the activeness of women, youth, raise their status, comprehensively protect their rights so that they may secure the worthy place in life. The Decree of President “On additional measures to support the activity of the Women’s Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan” of May 25, 2004 serves as an important legal basis in this respect.
In accordance with the document, the scale of measures now expands in Uzbekistan to protect the interests of families, motherhood and childhood, comprehensively support women, provide for their legal, economic, and social protection, ensure their employment, and strengthen their health.
Besides, the legal powers of women’s public organizations are also expanding. Their activity is related to addressing the social problems. At the moment, bulk of women’s non-state non-profit organizations are effectively working in such spheres as education, women’s rights, reproductive health, professional training and retraining, development of small and private businesses, as well as environment protection.
At the roundtable in Tashkent the participants also listened to reports on the importance of Universal Declaration of Human Rights in providing for constitutional rights of the Uzbek women, their active participation in state building and public construction, the role of non-state non-profit organizations in implementing the women’s rights and interests.
4.000 GRADUATES GET JOBS AT LABOR FAIRS IN KHOREZM
About 4.000 graduates of professional colleges in Khorezm obtained jobs at labor fairs held in the towns and districts of the province, Uzbekistan National News Agency reported.
The regional departments of labor and social protection of citizens, secondary special and professional education, as well as the district branch of the Mikrocreditbank Joint-Stock Commercial Bank organized the fairs.
This year nearly 16.500 young men and women graduated from 74 professional colleges in Khorezm Province. In accordance with the survey held among them, 344 of them were interested in engaging in small business and entrepreneurship, but the rest of them wanted to continue their studies at higher educational institutions.
Thirty-seven graduates from Bagat, Yangiarik, Khiva and Khanka districts are reported to have obtained the soft loans from the Microcreditbank to establish their businesses.
“Thanks to means received from the bank I have opened a sewing workshop”, the graduate of the Bagat Professional College of Light Industry Kizlargul Rakhimova has said. “I purchased the necessary sewing machines and other equipments and hired five girls interested in sewing”.