11 April, 2006

Content:
Politics
Uzbek president receives chairman of Russian Federation Council
Russian Senator pledges prompt ratification of alliance treaty with Uzbekistan
Sessions to discuss integration issues within EurAsEC

Economics
Chamber of Commerce, NLFC to hold workshops
Gazprom and National Holding Company Uzbekneftegaz Consider Issues on Cooperation in Oil and Gas Sphere
Gzhel-Rishtan fair opens in Tashkent

POLITICS

UZBEK PRESIDENT RECEIVES CHAIRMAN OF RUSSIAN FEDERATION COUNCIL

President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov received chairman of the Federation Council of Russia's Federal Assembly Sergey Mironov at presidential residence Oqsaroy in Tashkent on 10 April.

As earlier reported, Sergey Mironov arrived in Uzbekistan with official visit and met speaker of Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis Erkin Halilov and Senate of Oliy Majlis Ilgizar Sobirov.

"Your visit is another example of rapidly developing relations between Uzbekistan and Russia," Islam Karimov said. "Our countries are expanding and developing multilateral cooperation in accordance with the Allied Relations Treaty signed in Moscow last November."

Sergey Mironov expressed gratitude to Islam Karimov for warm welcome and expressed belief that the cooperation between the senators of the two countries would expand. During the negotiations, the sides discussed relations between the parliaments of Uzbekistan and Russia, as well as other issues of mutual interest.

RUSSIAN SENATOR PLEDGES PROMPT RATIFICATION OF ALLIANCE TREATY WITH UZBEKISTAN

The agreement on allies' relations between Russia and Uzbekistan will be promptly ratified by the Russian parliament, Russian Federation Council Chairman Sergey Mironov told journalists, following a meeting with Uzbek President Islam Karimov. "The Russian parliament will promptly solve the question of ratifying the treaty on allies' relations between Russia and Uzbekistan immediately after it is submitted to the parliament," Sergey Mironov said.

"Uzbekistan has already ratified the treaty, and now it is up to Russia," he noted.

Speaking about the subject of his two-hour conversation with the Uzbek president, Mironov quoted the Uzbek leader as saying: "Our peoples need specific actions. They should feel changes for the better in relations between our countries."

As earlier reported, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent Uzbek-Russian treaty to parliament for ratification. The agreement between Uzbekistan and Russia was signed on 14 November 2005 in Moscow, Russia.

The Russian leader's order said Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Grigoriy Karasin appointed official representative of Russian President in consideration of ratification of agreement in Federal Assembly chambers of Russia.

SESSIONS TO DISCUSS INTEGRATION ISSUES WITHIN EURASEC

The twenty seventh session of integration committee of Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) and the sixth session of the group on formation of Single Economic Zone (SEZ) will be held in Minsk, Belarus, on 14 April.

The negotiations within EurAsEC will consider issues on further development of the organization and projects of international agreements, which will regulate cooperation in integration as tax, investment, tariff and technical regulation.

The participants of SEZ will discuss package of documents of formation of Single Economic Zone, draft agreement of SEZ and project of agreements, which will allow to simplify cross border b individuals within SEZ member-states.

On 11 April, Moscow will host the second session of working group on integration of Central Asian Cooperation Organisation (CAC) into EurAsEC. The session will consider documents on accession of CAC into EurAsEC.

Uzbekistan joined EurAsEC on 25 January 2006. The country was the only member of CAC, which did not have membership in EurAsEC. The accession of Uzbekistan to EurAsEC allowed to integrate CAC into EurAsEC as both of them have similar tasks.

The EurAsEC includes Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan and it was set up in October 2000 to solve economic integration of member-states.

ECONOMICS

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, NATIONAL LIFE FINANCE CORPORATION TO HOLD WORKSHOPS

Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan in cooperation with National Life Finance Corporation (NLFC) is planning to hold workshops entitled "Development and financing small and private businesses" in Karshi, Samarkand and Tashkent on 17-20 April.

National Life Finance Corporation (NLFC) contributed to development of economy for over 56 years via issue of credits and loans to small and medium businesses, which faced difficulties in receiving credits.

NLFC is a financial institution wholly owned by Japanese government. As specified by law, NLFC's goal is to provide financing to MSEs that might otherwise not qualify for assistance from private financial institutions. NLFC has carried on the activities of People's Finance Corporation, which extended loans to MSEs, and Environmental Sanitation Business Finance Corporation, which provided loans for improving hygiene standards.

GAZPROM AND NATIONAL HOLDING COMPANY UZBEKNEFTEGAZ CONSIDER ISSUES ON COOPERATION IN OIL AND GAS SPHERE

Gazprom's Headquarters has hosted on 11 April a working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of Gazprom's Management Committee and Shavkat Mazhitov, First Deputy Chairman & Top Manager of the National Holding Company Uzbekneftegaz.

The parties addressed issues in relation to cooperation deepening in the oil & gas sector, placing a focus on the implementation of the Agreement on the major principles and provisions of PSA for the Urga, Kuanysh and Akchalak group of fields in the Ustyurt region of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Agreement on the major principles of geological survey for the Ustyurt investment blocks of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

GZHEL-RISHTAN FAIR OPENS IN TASHKENT

Gzhel-Rishtan fair opened on 6 April at the Gallery of Fine Arts of Uzbekistan.

The exhibition fair was initiated by the Caravan Art Gallery and organised with the assistance of the Russian and Swiss Embassies in Uzbekistan, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Office of Russian Foreign Center in Tashkent.

The exposition includes the products of the world famous producers of Russian china – Obyedineniye Gzhel (Gzhel Association) closed joint-stock company and Rishtan School of Ceramics.

Gzhel is the name of an old major ceramics center, 60 kilometers southeast of Moscow. The village of Gzhel is mentioned for the first time in the fourteenth century in the testament of Ivan Kalita the Moneybag, the Grand Prince of Muscovy. Otherwise historical chronicles note that the dominant pursuit of the local population was the making of pottery, for which reason the very name of Gzhel derives in all likelihood from the Russian verb zhech which means burn in the sense of firing clay. Though the secrets of the craft were handed down from generation to generation long before, Gzhel really rose to fame as a large center of ceramics in the eighteenth century when local potters mastered the making of majolica or majolica tin-glazed tea pots and tableware, dishes, bowls, pitchers, kvass pitchers, toys, flower pots, etc.

In Rishtan, a small town in Ferghana valley, talented craftsmen produced ceramic ware as early as 800 years ago. Craftsmen of Rishtan were famous around the world for the amazing production techniques, and non-traditional methods used in decorating finished products.

At the fair, not only can the visitors familiarize themselves with the genuine art and see the unique works of Russian and Uzbek artists, but also purchase the items they like best.

The Ambassadors of the Russian Federation and Swiss Confederation spoke at the opening ceremony of the event.
"Gzhel is a recognized symbol of our culture, the best example of our country's national art," said Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Uzbekistan Farit Muhammetshin. "We are planning to organize the same exhibition in Moscow at the Museum of Oriental Art."

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Swiss Confederation to the Republic of Uzbekistan Peter Burkhard noted "Ceramics and porcelain have come to us form ancient history. Our country supports the other nations' aspirations for self-expression and this exhibition is the best example of this fact."

Director-General of Obyedineniye Gzhel CJSC Victor Loginov said, "We are glad to learn about the amazing national craft of Rishtan ceramics, and we invite our Uzbek friends to visit us and use the opportunity to work on our factory."

The chief initiator of the exhibition, director of Caravan art gallery Natalya Musina whose energy and enthusiasm made the exhibition possible introduced the craftsmen from Rishtan to the audience. Among them were masters famous around the world, such as Alisher Nazirov, Rustam Usmanov, member of the Arts Academy Sharofiddin Yusupov, and Ismailjon Kamilov. She also thanked everyone who made the project possible.

"We have been thinking of organising this exhibition for so long. I hope that the mixture of Russian cobalt an Rishtan's blue will yield, as artists say, fine fruit," said the chief master Alisher Nazirov.

The exposition included wonderful items displayed by the visiting participants – works of Gzhel craftsmen Tatyana Fedorovskaya, Alexander Fedotov, Tatyana and Victor Hazovs, Antonina Nechaeva, Anatoliy Novikov, Azamat Asanbaev, etc.

The title of the exhibition "Gzhel-Rishtan" was not accidental. The ancient art of ceramics binds the histories of Russia and Uzbekistan, their nations and cultures. The exhibition will be open until 12 April.