Home News & Information digests INFORMATION DIGEST №75

INFORMATION DIGEST №75

POLICY

.. 1

Uzbekistan, Russia to Keep Enriching Bilateral Relations with Fresh Practical Substance. 1

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE “MODERN HABITATION CONSTRUCTION AS LOCOMOTIVE FOR COMPLEX DEVELOPMENT AND REORGANIZATION OF RURAL AREAS, IMPROVEMENT QUALITY OF POPULATION LIFE”. 2

Extensive Ingenious Efforts in Uzbekistan Induce Immense Interest. 2

Economy.. 3

Roads to be Repaired. 3


POLICY

Uzbekistan, Russia to Keep Enriching Bilateral Relations with Fresh Practical Substance

As reported earlier, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov paid an official visit to the Russian Federation on April 14-15 at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin.

The political dialogue at the highest level has been regular in the relations between Uzbekistan and Russia. In April 2010, President Islam Karimov traveled to Moscow on an official visit. In his turn, Vladimir Putin was in Tashkent in June 2012, also on official visit, which produced, among other documents, the Declaration on the Enhancement of Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Russian Federation.

In addition, foreign affairs ministries of the two countries have maintained regular contacts. Notably, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was in Tashkent on April 5.

The agreement and normative backbone of the bilateral cooperation is made up of around 200 interstate, intergovernmental and interagency documents. The principal ones among them in terms of the evolution of bilateral interaction have been the Agreement on Strategic Partnership signed 16 June 2004 and the Agreement on Allied Relationships penned 14 November 2005. These two pacts delineate priority dimensions of bilateral partnership in military-political, trade-economic and humanitarian spheres. The treaties stipulate close interaction in issues pertinent to providing for national, regional and international security, consolidating peace and stability, combating terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, illegal drugs trade and addressing new threats and challenges.

Major events within the Uzbek President’s visit took place on April 15 in the Kremlin. Islam Karimov and Vladimir Putin met in a contracted format and discussed the progress and prospects of bilateral cooperation in political, trade-economic, investment, scientific-technological and humanitarian areas.

The two sides exchanged views on pressing issues in regional and international affairs. The subjects included the developments in Afghanistan, the war on terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, organized crime.

The Presidents of Uzbekistan and Russia addressed also the cooperation issues within the frameworks of international institutions like the United Nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The talks continued in an extended format, where the two parties for the most part addressed economic interaction. It was noted that the trade and economic cooperation constitutes robust bedrock of the Uzbek-Russian relations. Thus, the bilateral trade turnover in 2012 grew by 12.6 percent to reach 7.6 billion US dollars (USD/UZS-2054.30). In the first quarter of this year, the growth indicator has made up 20 percent.

To date, some 850 Russian-Uzbek companies are operating in Uzbekistan, while representative offices of more than 100 Russian enterprises are accredited in our country. In excess of 400 companies with Uzbek capital are run in Russia. The Uzbek-Russian partnership has been dynamic in fuel and energy sector, with Russia’s largest hydrocarbon companies working successfully and effectively in Uzbekistan.

During the talks in Moscow, the two sides stressed the importance of intensifying the investment cooperation by setting up joint ventures to produce ready goods, by boosting the bilateral trade, enhancing the interaction in transport and communications.

The trade-economic and investment partnership, interaction in fuel and energy complex and other sectors of economy are addressed within the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Uzbekistan. Tashkent hosted the latest, 14th session of the Commission last December.

The progress in the activities of the Commission and plans for the future were discussed during the negotiations.

The two sides exchanged views on cooperation issues in humanitarian sphere, which implies expansion of contacts among institutions and organizations of culture, science, education, sports and tourism. Consolidation of ties between the academies of sciences, scientific and research institutions are also covered in this interaction track.

The branches of M.Lomonosov Moscow State University, G.Plekhanov Russian Academy of Economics, I.Gubkin Russia State University of Oil and Gas have been successfully working in Tashkent.

The talks have produced the Agreement on the Encouragement and Mutual Protection of Investments, the Program for Economic Cooperation for 2013-2017, the Program on Cooperation in Cultural-Humanitarian and Scientific-Technological Spheres for 2013-2015. In addition, among documents approved during the visit are those on interaction between institutions of environmental protection, customs and tax services. 

At the meeting with mass media representatives, Islam Karimov and Vladimir Putin noted that the negotiations proceeded in the spirit of openness and mutual confidence, that the positions and views of the two sides across issues addressed are similar and akin, and that the documents signed will serve to bolster the bilateral relations in the interests of our two nations.

This ended the visit by President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov to Russia. The talks that advanced in a favorable business atmosphere and the documents inked afford us every reason to state that Uzbekistan and Russia are progressing on the path of enhancing the multifaceted cooperation, of enriching their bilateral relationships with fresh material substance. (Source: Press service of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan).

 

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE “MODERN HABITATION CONSTRUCTION AS LOCOMOTIVE FOR COMPLEX DEVELOPMENT AND REORGANIZATION OF RURAL AREAS, IMPROVEMENT QUALITY OF POPULATION LIFE”

Extensive Ingenious Efforts in Uzbekistan Induce Immense Interest

            Uzbekistan is to host an international conference on April 16-17, “Modern housing construction as a driving force of comprehensive development and transformation of rural areas, enhancing the living standards of population”, organized at the initiative of President Islam Karimov. The forum is anticipated to be attended by around 300 prominent academics, specialists and experts from nearly fifty countries of the world. Reporters of the UzA National Information Agency of Uzbekistan have interviewed some of the foreign guests to inquire into their initial impressions of their stay in our country.

            Ms. Caroline Bastiaens, Member of the Flemish Parliament, city councillor of the city of Antwerp, Belgium:

            It is worth noting that the construction of modern housing in rural areas, as well as of social infrastructure facilities, that can compete with urban indicators in quality terms, the endeavors aimed at improving welfare and creating broader opportunities for small business and private entrepreneurship, enhancing population employment are all important factors in raising the incomes and wellbeing of people. This, in turn, has helped boost the development in villages in paces equivalent to those in cities. In this sense, the international conference “Modern housing construction as a driving force of comprehensive development and transformation of rural areas, enhancing the living standards of population” is quite well-timed and important.

            Chen Changming, Vice President of Shanghai Tongshe Architectural Design Institute Co. Ltd, Tongji University in Shanghai, China:

            Remarkable results have been manifest in Uzbekistan in manufacturing industry, construction sector and agriculture, in the evolution of small business and private entrepreneurship, social sphere, construction of modern housing in rural areas, securing population employment. The complex measures directed at building homes for the population and further improving the living conditions and employment are instrumental in the development of rural areas. The wide-ranging creative endeavors in this country are cardinally changing the appearance of remote villages and auls. Thus it draws our interest to an enormous extent.

            We are glad to have an opportunity within the international conference to familiarize ourselves in more detail with the inventive works undertaken in remote areas of the country, with reforms which are in progress to elevate the affluence of people and further improve the living conditions of population. This forum grants a fine opportunity for experts and scholars from many nations to exchange expertise in the effective implementation of socio-economic reforms in rural areas.

            Salah Sultan,Secretary of the Committee of Muslims of Asia, Kuwait:

            Enormous attention has been paid in Uzbekistan to not only perfect the appearance of towns, but also of villages, to improve their infrastructure and create all the conveniences for the rural population to live a happy, high-quality and affluent life. This is confirmed also by the works embarked on in your country to construct wide-scale modern housing in rural areas built on standard design. Not all nations enjoy so tremendous and consistent an attention to uplifting the wellbeing in the village. It is delighting to know that thousands of cutting-edge houses are erected and commissioned across all regions of Uzbekistan within a brief period of time. Especially noteworthy is the fact that these homes boast all the essential everyday conditions and comfort, and this is a major factor of welfare of the rural population. Uzbekistan’s prowess can serve as a model for other countries. Its examination and spread is the principal goal pursued by the international conference.

            Javier Salcedo Cabello, Director og Department of Agriculture of PROES Consultors S.A, Spain:

            The international conference in Uzbekistan on so important a subject matter as this one is very well-timed. After all, the wide-scale reforms pursued in this country in order to boost socio-economic development in rural areas can serve as a model for all the nations throughout the world. Worthy of the highest appreciation is that Uzbekistan has created organizational and normative mechanisms covering the issues of modern housing construction and its funding, the choice of quarters for the erection of homes, the ways of drawing up development plans of populated clusters, of providing with construction materials. It is noteworthy that the transformation in Uzbekistan designed to secure integrated development of rural areas will indisputably facilitate the further dynamic development of the country in general. (Source: UzA)

economy

Roads to be Repaired

            The country will implement a program of major road repairs

            Uzbekistan plans to spend about 260 billion soums (official exchange rate of 17.04.2013 $1=2054.30 UZS) this year for major road repairs.

            Roads are called “circulatory system” of modern economy. This is understandable, since, it is much of freight and passenger traffic are provided thanks to them. For Uzbekistan, which is in the heart of Central Asia, the development of transport infrastructure is a major challenge that can provide additional GDP growth. Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, the country has a potential to take the place of the main regional transport and transit hub. To achieve this goal, a lot have been already done. International multimodal logistics centers develop, modern equipment and technology are purchased. But, most importantly, substantial funds for construction of new and renovation and repair of existing roads are allocated every year in the country.

            In late March, the Government of Uzbekistan approved a program for maintenance of international and national road in 2013. In the framework of its implementation, for major repairs of international highways more than 46.5 billion soums will be allocated this year. In particular, the repairs on highways Tashkent-Quqon-Andijon, Guzar-Nukus-Kungrad-Beineu, Tashkent-Chinaz-Guliston, toward Tashkent-Termiz, on the Tashkent Ring Road will be continued or begun. Also, an overhaul of the access road to the city of Kokand, highways of Samarqand-Guzar, Samarqand-Bukhoro-Turkmenboshi, Bishkek-Dushanbe-Termiz, local road construction on the highway Almaty-Bishkek-Tashkent-Shakhrisabz-Termiz (Surkhondaryo region).

            Over 202 billion soums are allocated for major repair of national roads. Financing of the objects included will be financed by the National Road Fund under the Ministry of Finance. (Source:Uzbekistan today)

 
English  Russian
Memoriable date


25th Anniversary of the Independence of Uzbekistan



2016 Year-Year of a health mother and child



23th Anniversary of the Constitution of Uzbekistan