May 22, 2014
Presidents of Uzbekistan and China hold talks. 2
Sectoral industrial fair starts in Tashkent3
International Conference «About main food programme implementation of reserves in Uzbekistan». 4
Press-service of MFA of the Republic of Uzbekistan
POLICY
Presidents of Uzbekistan and China hold talks
As reported earlier, President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov arrived in China to attend the meeting of the IV Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.
President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov and President of China Xi Jinping held talks on May 20 in Shanghai at the residence of the head of China, the press service of the President of Uzbekistan reported. The sides highly appreciated the current state of relations between the two countries and stressed the importance of such meetings in determining the prospects for further development of cooperation.
The President of our country noted the favorable dynamics in bilateral relations and expressed his sincere gratitude to his Chinese counterpart for the warm and cordial welcome.
In turn, the head of China expressed his strong commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership with Uzbekistan. Xi Jinping stressed his willingness to continue to maintain close personal dialogue with the leader of Uzbekistan and “exert all efforts to achieve even greater objectives” in bilateral relations.
China’s President called for closer contact between the two countries on regional and international issues. Noting that Uzbekistan is an important country in the region Xi Jinping offered to join forces with our country in order to build confidence between the countries of Asia, strengthen peace and stability, promoting economic and social development in the region.
It was also noted that the first state visit of the current Chairman of the PRC to Uzbekistan in September 2013 was a truly historic event in the development of bilateral relations and the evidence of strengthening of the foundations of relations between our countries and peoples. Following the talks in Tashkent Islam Karimov and Xi Jinping signed the Agreement of Amity and Cooperation and the Joint Declaration on further development and deepening of bilateral strategic partnership. Also an Intergovernmental Agreement on economic and technological cooperation, a number of documents aimed at further development of cooperation in the economic, financial, oil and gas sectors, education were signed.
Currently, the relations between Uzbekistan and China are developing in all directions in the spirit of the Agreement on partnership relations of friendship and cooperation, and the Joint Declaration on the establishment of strategic partnership. Interaction covers the whole range of relations and is mutually beneficial. The basis for this are the personal contacts between the two states, which are characterized by mutual trust and respect, with regular exchange visits and meetings at the highest levels.
Mutual trade has been steadily growing deserves a positive assessment, increasing for the past six years by almost 6 times and reaching $5.2 billion in 2013.
Recall that during the visit of the President of Uzbekistan to China in June 2012 a package of documents was signed worth over $ 5.3 billion for more than 30 investment projects.
31 documents on projects totaling $15 billion were signed during the state visit of the President of China to Uzbekistan in September 2013 that involve $7.7 billion of financial resources from China, including direct investment by Chinese companies worth $1.3 billion, loans of Chinese banks for $ 6.1 billion, government grants for $0.3 billion.
In Uzbekistan there are 466 enterprises with Chinese capital, including 77 companies with 100 percent of Chinese investment. 71 Chinese companies have their representative offices in our country.
Investment partnership in non-raw material and high-tech sectors has been also actively developing. Cooperation Programme signed in 2010 between the governments of Uzbekistan and China is the basis of fruitful cooperation in this area.
Uzbekistan supported the 2011 initiative of Chinese leadership for the establishment of Uzbek-Chinese high-tech industrial park with the participation of Chinese companies. In March 2013, this park was created in the form of a Djizzakh special industrial zone with a branch in the Syrdarya region. Since June 2013 manufacture of mobile phones, building materials and other products have already been launched on the territory of the SIZ.
This year at Djizakh special industrial zone it is planned to implement more than 15 projects involving direct Chinese investment worth over $50 million.
The cooperation with China in the energy sector has been consistently developing. Passage of all four Central Asia – China pipelines through the territory of Uzbekistan is the evidence of the highest level of mutual trust and close cooperation in the oil and gas sector.
China National Petroleum Corporation is involved not only in the exploration and development of promising hydrocarbon fields, but in the implementation of the project for deep processing of natural gas on the basis of the Mubarek gas-chemical complex.
Bilateral cooperation in the financial sector is also actively developing, in particular with China Development Bank (CDB) and the Export-Import Bank of China. The total loan portfolio of Chinese financial institutions exceeded $4.5 billion, including $3.5 billion – without government guarantees.
It should be noted that the CDB is involved in the energy, transport, telecommunications, health, education and other projects totaling over $3.8 billion.
Since 2005, China’s Eximbank has approved funding for 32 projects totaling $1.15 billion.
Further development of cultural relations, cooperation in science and technology, tourism is also a priority. It should be noted that on May 15, 2013 in Shanghai opened the first in China Research Center of Uzbekistan and educational exchanges on the basis of Public Diplomacy Research Institute of the SCO at Shanghai University. Sister relations have been established between Tashkent and Shanghai, Navoi and Zhuzhou (Hunan Province), Tashkent region and the province of Hunan, Samarkand and Xian (Shaanxi Province), Samarkand region and the province of Shaanxi.
Today’s meeting of the two presidents will give a new impetus to the development of mutually beneficial and multifaceted cooperation and further strengthen the strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and China.
After fruitful discussion and exchange of views, the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov on the invitation of the President Xi Jinping attended a gala concert of Chinese masters of arts organized in honor of the Heads of States of the CICA summit.
(Source: Uzreport.uz)
economy
Sectoral industrial fair starts in Tashkent
Sectoral industrial fair of the Complex on development of machinery, electrotechnical and aviation industry, standartization of products started at Uzexpocenter in Tashkent on 20 May 2014.
The event is held within the first stage of traditional annual International industrial fair and cooperation exchange, which will be held on 28 October – 1 November 2014.
The sectoral industrial fair is aimed at assisting enterprise to expand their long-term economic relations in production and supply of processed raw materials, materials and spare parts, ready goods and production of new goods, developing sectoral and industrial cooperation, attracting investments and partners, etc.
Last year, the sectoral industrial fair was attended by 117 companies, which presented 590 goods, including 42 new goods. The goods were also produced within the localization programme. Over 2,000 people visited the fair, of which 30 were representatives of the firms and companies. Within the fair, the agreements for 9.695 billion soums were signed.
This year, the fair is attended by over 175 companies, which are part of Uzbekistan Temir Yollari, Uzbekistan Havo Yollari, Uzstroymateriali, Uzavtoyul, Toshahartranshizmat, and others.
The fair presented over 1,050 products, of which over 50 are new goods, according to the organizers.
During all period of holding fair, industrial enterprise of Uzbekistan, including representatives of small and private entrepreneurship, will demonstrate industrial potential for the visitors. The companies will hold presentation of their enterprises and proposals for cooperation.
The organizers of the fair annually publish electronic catalogue “Industrial products of Uzbekistan”, which includes information on companies and their products. New catalogue of 2013-2014, which have information about 10,000 companies, was published in Russian and English language. Over 30,000 copies of the catalogue were published.
(Source: UzDaily.com)
International Conference «About main food programme implementation of reserves in Uzbekistan»
A Look at the Prospects
Large-scale efforts to boost crop yields through upgrading the irrigation and land amelioration systems are to be taken in Uzbekistan in the coming years. By the end of 2017, construction and reconstruction of over 3,850 land amelioration facilities and repairs to over 75,500 km of open collection and drainage systems are to be carried out.
The development of Uzbekistan’s rural areas today is largely dependent on their farmers who create jobs, provide the local markets with quality and affordable produce, and contribute to the provincial service sector. The efficiency of the farms themselves depends on the crops, and hence the soil fertility. The grain and horticultural crop yields rising year by year in Uzbekistan are evidence of the country’s successful land amelioration policy.
Last April, the 2013-2017 state program for irrigated land improvement and water resources rational use was approved. The program is aimed at consolidating the achievements and identifying the key trends in the area of land management. With many countries facing food underproduction today, programs like this are especially important. Uzbekistan is located in a region with summertime arid climate and limited water resources, so it just cannot survive without efficient land management. The country’s agricultural sector is one of the driving forces of the country’s economy, so the program – a road map for bringing the land amelioration projects to a higher level – is essential to it.
The major courses of the program cover improvement in the efficiency of irrigated land management, development of land amelioration and irrigation facilities, rational use of the water resources, improvement in soil fertility and rise in the crop yields. Today the country’s leading land management experts, researchers and farmers hold joint meetings to discuss the pressing land management issues and the program implementation tactics. Their particular attention is on the ways of adopting the best foreign practices, installation of modern energy efficient equipment and drip irrigation systems. Within the next few years, for instance, drip irrigations systems will be installed throughout an area of 25,000 hectares of farmland in the country.
(Source: “Uzbekistan Today” newspaper)