28 January, 2012
Politics:
Islam Karimov Congratulates Prime Minister of Japan
Uzbek-German Architecture-Construction Center opens
Economics:
EBRD says Uzbekistan’s GDP growth in 2011 makes up 8.3%
Investment Effect
ADB to Help Develop Uzbekistan's Largest Petrochemical Plant
Society:
Teodor Radu Pantea’s photography works exhibition
Fund Forum holds Shashmaqam Forever Festival in New York
Ravshan Irmatov named best Asian referee of last 25 years
POLITICS
Islam Karimov Congratulates Prime Minister of Japan
DHis Excellency
Mr Yoshihiko Noda,
Prime Minister of Japan
Your Excellency,
Please accept my sincere congratulations and heartfelt wishes on the occasion of twentieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Uzbekistan and Japan.
The interaction between Uzbekistan and Japan has ages-old roots that go back to the Great Silk Road, and history has preserved numerous unique facts of humanitarian and trade exchange, of interpenetration of our cultures, traditions and customs.
I would like to stress with a sense of immense delight that our times also have been distinct with vigorous growth and intensive expansion of longer-term and comprehensive bilateral relations, a logical and the most critical phase of which has come to be the Joint Declaration on Friendship, Strategic Partnership and Cooperation signed in 2002.
We highly value the considerable support and assistance provided by Japan, one of the leading global powers, in the making of independent Uzbekistan, primarily in the implementation of major vitally important programs in economic, investment and social spheres. We regard Japanese businesses, leading banking organizations and development institutions as reliable partners one can count on.
The Uzbek delegation’s official visit to Japan in February 2011 demonstrated again the shared aspiration to inspirit a new dynamics to the open and prolific political dialogue, including that in the “Central Asia plus Japan” format, to the practical efforts toward enhancing the mutually gainful strategic partnership. The visit also underlined the concurrence and proximity of approaches by the two sides to current issues in regional and international politics.
Particularly noteworthy have been the activities of Uzbek-Japanese and Japanese-Uzbek committees for economic cooperation, the agencies that constitute a solid institutional backbone of interaction in this key area. The forthcoming joint work toward effective materialization of remarkable normative base of relations also deserves special consideration.
I am convinced that, building on the common values and longer-term interests shared by our two countries, the traditionally friendly bilateral ties will continue to press forward in every way possible for the good of the peoples of Uzbekistan and Japan.
Taking this pleasant opportunity, I wish a robust health and every success to You, and peace and prosperity to the people of Japan.
Sincerely,
Islam KARIMOV,
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
(Source: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan)
Uzbek-German Architecture-Construction Center opens
An Uzbek-German Architecture-Construction Center, which will provide Master courses “Preserving buildings and constructions, cities and historic monuments”, started its work under the Tashkent Architecture-Construction Institute.
Sven Wallasch, a head of project, said that the main goal of the center is to organize training of high skilled specialists in preserving buildings, constructions, cities and historic monuments, planning city and regional construction, development of technical infrastructure and object management in Uzbekistan in line with the German educational standards and national laws of Uzbekistan, as well as national programme on training specialists.
The project is implemented at the financial support of German Volkswagen Foundation with the participation of two largest architecture institutes of Uzbekistan – Tashkent Architecture-Construction Institute and Samarkand State Architecture-Construction Institute, as well as four German universities – University of Bamberg, Technical University of Dresden, Postdam Specialized University and Bauhaus University Weimar.
He said that within the training, the students will learn European and Uzbek technologies and methods of planning to develop ability and competence of the specialists.
Sven Wallasch said that the training at the center will be held at Tashkent Architecture-Construction Institute in German language with teachers from higher educational establishments of Germany. About 90% of teachers of the center will be specialists from Germany.
Curriculum was adopted in line with the German educational programmes and German standards on modular education with 120 credits in line with the European Credit Transfer System.
He underlined that the students will study in Uzbekistan in the first, third and fourth semesters, and in Germany in the second semester. German side will cover all travel and living expenses of 20 students and up to four teachers and specialists.
Wallasch underlined that the graduates of the Uzbek universities in such directions as construction, architecture and similar directions with Bachelor or Master degrees, as well as with basic knowledge of German can enroll to the center. He added that the students should have knowledge of German at the level of A1 certificate. He said that before beginning of academic year, the students will attend four-month mandatory German language course, which will be also financed by the German side.
Wallasch stated that 20 students will enroll to the center on competitive basis. He said that the applications for enrollment will be received till 27 February 2012. The students will be selected based on exams on specialty and German language. German language exams will be taken based on existing German requirements.
He said that the entrants should submit photo, application, motivation letter, copy of school certificate, diploma on Bachelor or Master degree, own project and certificate on knowledge of German language.
He said that the cost of education is 750 euros per semester and students will study only on contractual basis. (Source: UzDaily.com)
ECONOMY
EBRD says Uzbekistan’s GDP growth in 2011 makes up 8.3%
Gross domestic product (GDP) of Uzbekistan increased by 8.3% in 2011, a January report of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development “Regional Economic Prospects in EBRD Countries of Operations” said.
The EBRD specialists underlined that economy of Uzbekistan grew by 8.3% in 2011 compared to 8.5% in 2010. Earlier, in its October report, the EBRD forecasted that Uzbekistan will post 7.5% GDP growth in 2011.
The bank said that higher commodity export prices and remittances, FDI and export demand helped Uzbekistan to achieve high economic growth.
According to the report, the economy of Uzbekistan will grow by 7% in 2012 due to deteriorated commodity price outlook. Earlier in October, the bank forecasted that Uzbekistan’s GDP will grow by 6% in 2012.
In line with the report, inflation rate in Uzbekistan made up 13% in 2011. Current account balance surplus grew from 6.7% to GDP in 2010 to 8% to GDP in 2011. Net foreign direct investments slipped from 4.2% to GDP in 2010 to 3.2% to GDP in 2011.
As reported earlier, Uzbekistan posted 8.3% GDP growth in 2011. The Government of Uzbekistan expects that the GDP of the country will increase by 8.2% in 2012. (Source: UzDaily.com)
Investment Effect
TLukoil expanding projects in Uzbekistan
Russia’s petroleum giant Lukoil has acquired a stake of Malaysia’s Petronas Carigali Overseas in the Aral project in Uzbekistan.
Currently, the share of Lukoil in the project has reached 26.6%. The production sharing agreement on the Aral project with a validity of 35 years was signed in August 2006 and came into force in January 2007. The project is implemented by a consortium of investors consisting of the National Holding Company Uzbekneftegaz, Lukoil (Russia), CNPC International (China) and KNOC Aral (South Korea). The company is headquartered in Tashkent.
The Aral License Block is located in north-western Uzbekistan and includes the Uzbek part of the Aral Sea and the adjacent land and the transit zone. In 2007-2009, the works under the project included high-quality seismic survey of about three thousand linear kilometers and identified six promising structures, of which 4 (West Aral, Umid, Ak-Tepe, and Shagala) have been certified and prepared for deep drilling.
In spring 2010, the consortium discovered a gas field in West Aral, with preliminary estimate reserves of around 11 billion cubic meters.
Investment in the project exceeded $110 million. In August 2011, the partners approved a plan of work on the project, including drilling of test wells with a minimum amount of funding in the amount of $17 million.
Another important project of the Russian company was the launch of the first starting complex in the western section of Shada in Bukhoro region. On the first stage of operation the operator launched 5 wells with aggregate daily output of over 4 million cubic meters of natural gas. Also the company carried out arrangement of the orifice of the gas wells and installation of equipment for products collection and measurement, built a 21-km infield pipeline from the site to gas processing unit in Khauzak. Part of the route passes under Lake Dengizkul, and therefore the contractor has built an 80-m bridge.
Next year, in West Shady the company plans to drill and commission nine producing wells, arrange multiple well platform of the second launch complex, build infield roads and power lines. (Source: Ut.uz)
ADB to Help Develop Uzbekistan's Largest Petrochemical Plant
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a loan and political risk guarantee totaling up to $400 million to help build the largest-ever petrochemical plant in Uzbekistan.
The Surgil Natural Gas Chemicals Project will produce gas for commercial use and for conversion into chemical intermediates used in the plastics and textiles industries. The developer and operator, Uz-Kor Gas Chemical LLC, is a joint venture company owned by state-controlled oil and gas company National Holding Company Uzbekneftegaz, and a consortium of Republic of Korea companies, comprising Korea Stock Exchange-listed Honam Petrochemical Corporation, Korea Gas Corporation, and STX Energy, a unit of STX Corp.
“Instead of simply extracting gas and treating it for energy use, the project will also process a portion of it into chemical raw materials for exporting to plastics and textiles producers. That means Uzbekistan gets more bang for its buck out of its natural resources,” said Thomas Minnich, Senior Investment Specialist in ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department “ADB’s provision of a partial risk guarantee has helped draw in commercial lenders to the project and that could spur further foreign investment in this key sector.”
Uzbekistan is the second largest gas producer in the Commonwealth of Independent States behind the Russian Federation, with total reserves of 59.4 trillion cubic feet. However, the petrochemical industry in Uzbekistan is very small, meaning the country gets less benefit than it should from its abundant gas reserves. Developing the domestic petrochemical sector will diversify the country’s economy, generate additional revenues, and create jobs.
The project, which is located about 1,300 kilometers from the capital Tashkent in the Karakalpakstan region, will have supply capacity of about 4.5 billion cubic meters per annum of natural gas throughout the life of the project. It will include production wells, pipelines, ethylene cracker, polymer plants, and onsite power generation.
The total project cost is about $4 billion with financing to come as well from Export Import Bank of Korea, Korea Trade Insurance Corporation, China Development Bank, National Bank of Uzbekistan, European export credit agencies and international commercial lenders. It will demonstrate the viability of large-scale domestic/foreign joint ventures and could pave the way for future foreign direct investments in Uzbekistan’s private sector manufacturing industry.
ADB’s participation will also help ensure that the facilities comply with internationally acceptable environmental, health and safety standards.
ADB is providing a 13-year loan of up to $125 million and a 13-year guarantee of up to $275 million which will cover certain risks on loans extended by commercial lenders to Uz-Kor Gas Chemical. The plant is expected to be operational in early 2016. (Source: UzDaily.com)
SOCIETY
Fund Forum holds Shashmaqam Forever Festival in New York
A series of events, directed at popularizing unique direction of the Uzbek classic music – shashmaqom – has been held in New York, United States.
The organizers of the Shashmaqam Forever Festival are Fund Forum, Consulate General of Uzbekistan in New York, American Center of Traditional Music and Dance, Congress of the Bukharian Jews of the United States and Canada.
Uzbek maqom masters gave concerts at the prestigious scenes of the US – Carnegie Hall. An international scientific-practical conference “Shahmaqom in the 21st century” was also held.
Over 300 guests participated the concert. Among guests were representatives of New York city administration, diplomatic corps and international organizations, public and business circles, as well as Uzbek Diaspora.
John Liu, New York City Comptroller, said at the opening ceremony that the concert is bright event in cultural life of New York and brings its citizen closer to cultural-historic heritage and unique art of Uzbekistan.
Singers and musicians performed the difficult programme with inspiration. The programme included various parts of shashmaqom and instrumental fragments from repertoire of Turgun Alimatov.
Among musicians were sons of Turgun Alimatov – Alisher and Valisher Alimatov, his grandson Abror Zufarov.
Next day, the international scientific-practical conference “Shahmaqom in the 21st century” was held within the festival and it was dedicated to the 90th anniversary of Turgun Alimatov. The conference was attended by well-known scientists and specialists.
The conference’s participants discussed potential of shashmaqom, problems of its development and popularization in the United States, as well as perspectives in the 21st century, etc. (Source: UzDaily.com)
Teodor Radu Pantea’s photography works exhibition
Exhibition of Romanian photo-artist Teodor Radu Pantea’s works was organized in cooperation with Academy of Arts and embassy of Romania in the Tashkent House of Photography.
Representatives of the ministries and departments, the creative organizations, scientists-critics, artists and students took part in the opening ceremony of the event.
The exhibitions, international biennials, festivals held by the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan in cooperation with a number of creative organizations, promote demonstration of our achievements in the years of independence in various spheres.
Teodor Radu Pantea’s works is stored in museums of the USA, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Poland, Mexico and India as well as the private collections.
He was the participant of the fifth International Tashkent photo biennial TashkentALE 2010 and has been awarded with a silver medal.
New photo works of the author devoted to the town building and creation are shown at the exhibition. (Source: UzA News Agency)
Ravshan Irmatov named best Asian referee of last 25 years
Uzbekistan’s Ravshan Irmatov has been named as the Best Referee of Asia of last 25 years in line with the ranking of International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).
IFFHS published the rating of the World's best Referee of the Quarter of a Century (1987-2011). The best Asian referee of the last four years Ravshan Irmatov claimed the 28th place in the ranking.
This result allowed Irmatov to claime the first place in Asia, ahead of Ali Mohamed Bujsaim from the United Arab Emirates.
Pierluigi Collina (Italy), Markus Merk (Germany) and Kim Milton Nielsen (Danmark) topped the ranking of the IFFHS. (Source: UzDaily.com)