President Islam Karimov Discusses Cooperation Prospects with Lukoil Chief. 2
UZEX turnover amounts 6.5 trillion soums. 2
Uzbek Astronomer Is Presented with a Medal of French Observatory. 4
Pushing the Boundaries to Unite the World. 4
POLItiCs
President Islam Karimov Discusses Cooperation Prospects with Lukoil Chief
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov received the Lukoil President Vagit Alekperov at the Oqsaroy on November 10.
After greeting the guest, the leader of our country stated the enthusiastic activities of the oil company in the implementation of joint projects in Uzbekistan’s hydrocarbon industry.
Currently, Lukoil has been running investment projects designed to work out and develop promising gas deposits of Khauzak, Shady, Kungrad and the Kandym Group, along with the elaboration of oil and gas segments of the South-West Gissar and Ustyurt Region. Within the frameworks of joint geological prospecting works, promising deposits of hydrocarbons have been discovered in the Uzbek section of the Aral Sea. The aggregate volume of the company’s investments into the realization of projects in Uzbekistan has exceeded 5 billion dollars.
Lukoil has commenced construction of the Kandym Gas Reprocessing Plant with the attraction of the world’s state-of-the-art technologies to allow for the deep processing of 8 billion cubic meters of natural gas per annum.
During the meeting at the Oqsaroy, Vagit Alekperov said that the mentioned project, scheduled to be commissioned in 2018, is undertaken within the framework of the 2015-2019 Program to Intensify Reforms, Structural Transformation and Diversification of the Economy, directed at enhancing Uzbekistan’s industrial base.
The Lukoil chief stressed that the company will indisputably provide for a wide-scale and timely realization of all its commitments within investment projects underway in the Uzbek hydrocarbon sector.
The meeting served to exchange views on the current situation on global and regional markets of hydrocarbons and discuss key prospective dimensions of the long-term and mutually advantageous cooperation.
(Source: Press-service of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan)
economy
UZEX turnover amounts 6.5 trillion soums
24 October, the Board of UZEX held an enlarged session on the results of exchange activity for 9 months of 2015 and the tasks in the fourth quarter. The heads of subdivisions of the Central apparatus and regional branches attended the meeting.
During the discussion of the results of the activity, it was noted that for the first 9 months of 2015 the total amount of goods sold on a trading platform of the Uzbek Republican commodity exchange amounted to 6.5 trillion soums. Including, the volume of exchange trades amounted to 5.1 trillion soums, exhibition and fair trades – 746.5 billion soums, public procurement – 347.7 billion soums, corporate procurement – 260.8 billion soums, and the amount of transactions executed in the new trading platform “Electronic catalog” has reached 31.2 billion soums (currency rates of CB RU from 11.11.2015 1$= 2706.59 soums).
The growth in sales of goods and raw materials on the stock exchange in natural terms by 14.5% contributed to the decline in the prices of some goods. In particular, a decline was observed for cement 25.5%, liquefied gas by 16.5% and rolled ferrous metals by 8.2%. Companies-sellers received additional income due to the formation of trades on the real market price in the amount of 1.8 trillion soums.
The proportion of businesses in the total volume of transactions executed on the trading platform of the exchange has increased from 66.5% to 73.8%. The growth in the number of transactions with the participation of entities of entrepreneurship was observed in almost all regions of the Republic. Significant growth of sale at trades by business entities testifies about the effectiveness of measures to harness the potential of small enterprises in alternative trading platforms of the exchange.
In particular, the volume of transactions made in the system of the exhibition and fair trades amounted to 746.5 billion soums with the growth to the corresponding period last year by 8.2%. The share of small business in the total volume of transactions in a fair system reached 78%.
The new trading system “Electronic catalog” (catalog.uzex.uz) on public procurement done deals worth 31.2 billion soums and saved 7.8 billion soums of budget funds. The share of small businesses made 100% of the number and volume of transactions.
During the reporting period, the volume of electronic trading on corporate procurement in the system “E-xarid” compared to the same period last year remained almost unchanged and amounted to 260.8 billion soums. Cost savings increased by 10.2% to 54.4 billion soums, which indicates an increase of the effectiveness of electronic trading. The share of small businesses in the supply of goods (works, services) on public procurement via electronic auction trades made up 98% of the number of successful trades and 97% of the total amount of transactions.
Objectives for the fourth quarter of 2015 to increase the volume and expand the range of goods realized on the exchange, to attract small businesses to e-trading and further adoption of modern forms of ICT in the exchange activity were defined following the meeting.
(Source: UzReport.uz)
investments
A Natural Product
In the next three years Uzbekistan intends to implement over 150 projects on the establishment of the manufactures specializing in the processing of raw vegetables and production of natural medicines.
The establishment of manufactures of modern medicines produced from medicinal plants ranks among priority directions of development of the domestic pharmaceutical industry.
The share of medicines of this kind in the pharmaceutical markets of developed countries makes up 50-60%. In Uzbekistan, like in other CIS countries, the total number of drugs consumed by the population, or the bulk of them, is represented by the medicines produced using chemically synthesized active substances. Their delivery is the main item of import of pharmaceutical companies.
The absence of industrial synthesis of major pharmaceutical substances that are used in the manufacture of most of the drugs, entails the relevance of the production of plant-based substances, which would allow for the production of a wide range of high-technology and affordable medicines for treatment of many diseases.
In the near future, the situation is expected to change dramatically due to the ongoing complex of measures on the development of medicinal plant cultivation.
“We are going to channel investments primarily into the establishment of new businesses. It is envisaged to establish 65 manufactures within the structure of the Dori Darmon Company, and 73 companies in the system of the Ministry of Health. It is scheduled that 21 new enterprises will be established as part of the O’zpharmsanoat group by the end of 2015. We see that impressive,” commented to UT the O’zpharmsanoat Chief of Staff, Nazir Ibragimov.
One of the largest projects is nearing its completion. China’s Kunming Pharmaceutical Corporation is planning to launch a new pharmaceutical plant in Karakalpakstan by the end of December 2015. It will produce a unique product, glycyrrhizic acid, out of licorice root, which grows in abundance in the region.
The Chinese company has already completed basic works, and is currently supplying technological equipment. The total investment will exceed $4 million, $3 million of which has already been disbursed. The capacity of the new company will be known later, as it depends on several factors. The Chinese side is creating a flexible workflow, allowing quickly raising and decreasing production volumes.
As commented by the Deputy Director of the Uzbek Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Umarhon Azizov, the licorice root is a unique plant, which has paved the way to many hepatoprotective drugs and drugs to combat lung diseases.
“Previously, licorice was mainly exported abroad as a basis for the production of certain drugs. Later on, the drugs have entered the Uzbek market under well-known international brands,” he said.
According to the representative of the research institute, the new enterprise is expected to dramatically change the situation. The domestic pharmaceutical industry will obtain the glycyrrhizic acid to produce a range of new Uzbek drugs. The Institute is currently finalizing several unique licorice-based drugs, which will come into market in the near future, he concluded.
Over recent years, Uzbekistan has laid industrial plantations of the most popular herbs on 4,000 hectares. A total of 46.7 million has been invested in technological equipment and creation of 77 new manufactures on medicinal plant processing.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)
Science
Uzbek Astronomer Is Presented with a Medal of French Observatory
The director of the Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Professor Shukhrat Egamberdiev was awarded the Medal of La médaille de l’ADIONS, established by the Observatory of Côte d’Azur (Nice, France), according to the Astronomical Institute of Ulugbek.
The professor has become one of the most active participants of the IRIS project on monitoring of solar oscillations and the processes occurring in the Sun and in its depths.
Observations on the IRIS program began in 1989. In that year, due to efforts of the Tashkent group under the supervision of Egamberdiev, the first of six stations of network in the world has been established on Kumbel Mountain (in 80 km from Tashkent). Full deployment of the network ended in 1994 with the installation of stations in Culgoora (Australia).
As part of the program, a new research direction for Global acoustic vibrations of the Sun has been established in Uzbekistan. The most significant result of research conducted in the AI Uzbek Academy of Sciences in the framework of IRIS, was to specify the speed of rotation of the solar interior rotational splitting non-radial modes. This result was one of the top 10 results, listed as the major achievements in the field of astronomy in 1996.
The Medal La médaille de l’ADIONS, established by the Côte d’Azur Observatory, is a rare reward. It was first awarded in 1963, and since then 42 people were presented with this medal.
(Source: IA «Uzbekistan Today»)
CULTURE
Pushing the Boundaries to Unite the World
Such is the title of the Eighth Tashkent Biennale to take place in a year. The curator of the project, Doctor of Art History Nigora Ahmedova, has kindly agreed to provide the details in an interview with an Uzbekistan Today correspondent.
“Nigora Rahimovna, the Biennale has undergone restructuring, as we have just found out. Please tell us more about it.”
“The Academy of Arts decided to combine the Biennale of Contemporary Art and the Photo Biennale, taking place in even and odd years, into one mega art show. That will afford the event a corresponding scale and provide an opportunity to bond efforts in terms of organization and reduce costs.
“Worldwide, biennales of contemporary art are aimed at showing new forms and types of contemporary art, and they are a variety of manifestations of multimedia searches, installations, performance, video art and more. In Uzbekistan, these areas have received impetus lately. The upcoming exhibition is expected to give momentum to the development of this trend, and boost contacts among artists from various countries.”
“What is to be expected from the exhibition?”
“All the things anticipated from the grand occasion are in its title. At all times, art evolves by overcoming barriers and canons, opening novelties. That helps it to attract the most diverse groups of viewers, thereby uniting us. Topics of borders are incredibly wide. They include issues of choice, dialog, priorities, the ability of a person to go beyond what we are used to… The artist, as an individual with a special sensitivity, is a “seismograph” to reflect the essence and depth of these changes. The mega exhibition of works by contemporary artists invited from around the world can bring new energy and inspiration to our art.
“Perhaps there are those willing to participate among representatives of other areas of art, aren’t there?”
“This can’t be ruled out. But the upcoming Biennale has a curator there, who is responsible for the compliance of the exhibition organizers by the stated theme. All works are an objective selection. The 8th Tashkent Biennale is an area of contemporary art and its contemporary forms. And that’s it.
“What will distinguish the 8th Tashkent Biennale from previous projects?”
“This time around we’ve decided to show more thoroughly the contemporary art of the East, which offers a very interesting look at the problem, sometimes as a kind of alternative to the West. Tashkent, if we remember our history, and the dialogue between the East and the West has always occupied an important place in this process. In 2016, we plan to widely introduce the “Eastern axis” of contemporary art, which has kept its identity and a long time ago got rid of the Eastern stamps, traditionalism and very innovatively. But by tradition countries of all of parts of the world will be presented.”
“Have you identified the list of participants?”
“The administration of the Biennale has been running just over a month, and the works in this direction are in full swing. We are negotiating with artists, gallery owners and curators from foreign countries in the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Also, negotiations are going on with respect to certain foreign projects, information about which we still leave closed. Let this be a pleasant surprise for visitors.
“Except for me, there are other supervisors working on the project and many of them are young people. They are mainly focused on working with local artists. But here also, everything is at the stage of selection and elaboration. I want to emphasize that the new generation of artists, given their youth, are most perceptive of all the modern – the art, judgment, technologies. I think the next year’s Biennale will discover new names.”
“They say that the biennale is not only an art, but also modern management. Is there any news in this direction?”
“In terms of funding, Uzbekistan is one of the most generous countries. Worldwide, biennales are arranged by specially established foundations and business organizations, but here it is organized by the Academy of Arts. It should be emphasized that Tashkent is the leader of holding biennales. In addition to ours, still prominent in the territory of the CIS is the Moscow biennale, which was held six times.
“At the moment we are working on “sponsorship packages”, a common practice in the world, in which the sponsor for financial participation in the project receives profitable services – such as placing logos on printed materials, which is subsequently spread throughout the world.”
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)
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