DECEMBER 4 – THE ELECTIONS OF PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN.. 1
2016 year – The Year of healthy mother and child.. 2
Uzbekistan: Cherishing the Traditions Carefully. 3
DECEMBER 4 – THE ELECTIONS OF PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN
The CIS mission: The election campaign in Uzbekistan is progressing in the sprit of an open contest
The period of electoral campaigning in Uzbekistan continues in observance of the country’s legislation. Equal conditions have been created for the presidential candidates to present their programmes and to meet voters. On the whole, the election campaign is progressing in the spirit of an open contest and at a high organizational level.
This is the opinion of the mission of observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) as voiced at a briefing held in Tashkent on 29 November 2016 for mass media representatives. Members of the mission set forth their preliminary conclusions and evaluations of the electoral process going on in the country in an intermediate report on the observation of the preparation and conduct of the elections of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. At the same time they said that they were performing their functions freely and independently.
Giving a detailed description of all the phases of the current election campaign, legislative bases and changes and additions made to norm-setting regulatory acts, these observers from the CIS emphasized that work on the preparation and conduct of the forthcoming elections was being carried out in a consistent manner.
Members of the mission say that the necessary conditions have been created for the country’s district and precinct electoral commissions and that citizens are being informed through print media, radio and television channels about the election campaign. The round-the-clock functioning of a trust line and an e-mail at the Central Electoral Commission from 1 November this year for individuals and corporate bodies to contact it if necessary was stated especially.
These observers emphasized that for the first time in Uzbekistan’s electoral practice a programme of events for raising the law culture of voters had been approved by the Central Electoral Commission and adopted. For these purposes, seminars and round-table conversations are being conducted with the participation of representatives of civil society institutions.
The Central Electoral Commission is effectively using the potential of media to ensure the openness and transparency of the electoral process, members of the CIS mission said. They asserted that media of Uzbekistan were providing equal conditions in terms of duration and volume for coverage of the candidates’ electoral campaigning in news and other informational programmes.
The observer mission of the CIS has been monitoring the preparation and conduct of the elections since 17 November. The head of the mission that includes 10 long-term and about 60 short-term observers is the chairman of the Executive Committee of the CIS, Sergey Lebedev.
As part of election monitoring, long-term observes from the CIS familiarized themselves with the work of district and precinct electoral commissions and visited 104 electoral precincts in various regions of the country. Moreover, members of the observer mission are monitoring the process of early voting, which began on 24 November and is to continue until 2 December.
It was noted at the briefing that the mission would set forth its final conclusions and evaluations in a final document on results of the monitoring of the elections.
Observers from the CIS answered questions that were of interest to journalists.
(Source: UzA)
investments
Lukoil acquired a loan of $ 500 million for the project on the development of Gissar group of gas-condensate fields in Uzbekistan
As part of the project on the development of Gissar group of gas-condensate fields in Uzbekistan, Lukoil has acquired an unsecured loan in the amount of $500 million for a period of five years.
The loan was provided by a consortium of following commercial banks: Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Luxembourg S.A. (Luxembourg), Natixis (France), Mizuho Bank Ltd. (Japan), UniCredit S.p.A. (Italy), VTB Bank AG (Germany), ING Bank N.V. (Netherlands), Raiffeisenbank (Russia) and Raiffeisen Bank International AG (Austria).
The agreement on production sharing under the Пissar project was signed in January 2007. The first gas field Jarkuduk – Yangi Kyzylcha was put into operation as part of the ‘Early gas’ stage in December 2011. In 2012, the Gissar block achieved the designed production level – more than 1.1 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. The support base of the production field was launched in March of 2016, followed by settlement of the personnel.
As part of the ‘Full development” stage in 2017, it is planned to launch an integrated gas preparation unit Jarkuduk with the capacity of 4.4 billion cubic meters of gas per year, and thereby increase the production up to the design level.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)
2016 year – The Year of healthy mother and child
In accordance with the national program “The Year of Healthy Mother and Child” large-scale preventive activities against infectious diseases have been launched in Uzbekistan
To provide not less than 98% of children’s immunization and cover about 5 million children of preschool and school age with de-helminthization program in compliance with the National immunization schedule.
“Immunization is one of the most successful and efficient measures for preservation of people’s lives and health, especially those of the younger generation,” noted deputy director of the Sanitary-Epidemiological monitoring directorate of the Ministry of Healthcare Dilorom Tursunova. “It provides an opportunity to annually prevent up to 3 million deaths worldwide from such controllable infectious diseases as measles, pneumonia, diarrhea, diphtheria and others. Vaccination against such diseases in our country is carried out according to the National calendar of preventive vaccination, which is being continuously improved.”
Generally speaking, today immunization is carried out against 12 diseases: diphtheria, polio, measles, rubella, mumps, Hib infection, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, rotavirus and pneumococcal infections with modern drugs that meet the requirements of the World Health Organization (WHO). Vaccination coverage currently makes up 95-99%. Despite the rising cost of drugs, the state pays greater attention to sustainable financing of immunization programs. Thus, this year alone 2,143 thousand children aged 9-12, as well as 125,1 thousand college, high school and university students have been vaccinated against hepatitis B.
It is noteworthy that the national immunization calendar has been expanded on a regular basis over the recent years. Vaccination against rotavirus infection was included into the calendar since June 2014. As a result, there has been a reduction of its incidence by 30% among children under the age of five, according to the Institute of Virology.
A new National calendar on the preventive vaccination was approved one year ago by the State Chief Sanitary Doctor, which includes vaccination against anti-pneumococcal infection. More than half of affected children suffer from pneumococcus, Uzbek scientists claim. This infection causes pneumonia, sepsis, otitis, sinusitis and meningitis. Costly antibiotics may be required for the treatment of these ailments, but many strains have become resistant to them in recent years. Immunization may turn into the most effective way to solve the problem. The introduction of pneumococcal vaccines will reduce by 50% the incidence of such infections among children under the age of five or more with consideration of foreign countries’ experiences.
“Strict control of birth records and provision of preventive vaccinations, covering as many children as possible, has been carried out within the framework of implementation of the State program “The Year of Healthy Mother and Child”, Dilorom Tursunova underlined. “In addition to that, our staff members are working with the population to identify unvaccinated children, and also monitor compliance with the rules of safe vaccination.”
Thanks to carrying out mass campaigns against infectious diseases since 1996 in Uzbekistan, there have been no recorded cases of diphtheria and neonatal tetanus since 2002, and no cases of measles, rubella, and hepatitis B in children up to the age of 14 since 2012.
Conducting the next de-worming session of children has aroused lively discussion in social networks. The Uzbekistan Today journalists asked for details the sanitary-epidemiological monitoring directorate of the Ministry of Healthcare.
The basis of another complex of measures is prevention on de-helminthization, approved by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers “On measures on the prevention and treatment of helminthes infections in children in the Republic of Uzbekistan for the years 2015-2018”.
Kids from the age of two up to the age of ten are vaccinated against this disease within the frame of the Week of Healthy Baby; this event covered 4,295 thousand boys and girls. Apart from that the necessary quantity of anti-helminthes preparations has already been prepared for 2017.
Dilorom Tursunova stressed that a large-scale work had been carried out on training specialists prior to commencement of this event. The seminars were devoted to urgent issues of prevention of parasite diseases and improvement of sanitary-hygienic conditions at children’s pre-schools and general educational institutions of the Republic. Practical trainings were also organized for physicians on laboratory diagnosis of helminthes, including in accordance with the methods recommended by the WHO. In addition to that, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) organized a training program in South Korea on modern approaches to identification of relevant organisms for specialists of parasitological departments of the Center under the State Sanitary-Epidemiological monitoring and from four pilot regions of Uzbekistan.
At the same time, this complex of preventive undertakings makes a foundation of the situation, when medical statisticians continue to register reduction in the child morbidity rate.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)
CULTURE
Uzbekistan: Cherishing the Traditions Carefully
Tashkent has been immersed in the atmosphere of the beautiful for about a month. For the first time, Tashkent is hosting the International Festival of Arts ‘Golden Autumn’, the program of which presents concerts of world renowned domestic and foreign musicians.
The country is full of talents, as repeatedly proved by national and international music competitions. Much has been done in Uzbekistan over the past two decades to further develop musical art.
Teaching of young talents has been a particular focus. Children’s music and art schools, culture centers operate in all regions of the republic, colleges of arts enroll students, and a new building of the State Conservatory was built in the capital in 2002. Presidential Decrees ‘On streamlining music education, educational institutions of culture and art in the republic’, ‘On measures to support and stimulate the further development of theatrical and musical art of Uzbekistan’ provide an opportunity to the younger generation to get education on the basis of traditions of the Uzbek culture and international standards.
Talent Foundry
As noted by great minds, “Genius is one percent of talent and 99 percent of hard work”. The work of specialized musical educational institutions of the country is built on this concept. The major talent foundry – the Uspensky Republican Specialized Music Academic Lyceum (RSMAL) carefully preserves the traditions of the 77-year history of the oldest educational institution. As lovingly called by students and teachers, ‘Uspenka’ has become a kind of quality mark. Bekzod Abduraimov, Nodir Hashimov, Ulugbek Palvanov, Lola Astanova, Stanislav Yudenich and other RSMAL graduates decently represent Uzbekistan on the world stage.
Thanks to the continuous education system, children attend the same school from the age of six till entering the higher education institution. The educational process consists of two cycles – the musical and general education, and includes two stages of education: nine years of schooling and three years of study at the lyceum. The team of teachers, who cultivate the love for music in children, play a very special role in growing the generation of talented children. Many of them are RSMAL graduates, and they do their best to preserve a special atmosphere, which is inherent solely in ‘Uspenka’. Lydia Florenteva, Larisa Mukhitdinova, Alla Kim, theory teachers Marina Plodinskaya, Irina Kovbas and Gulnara Suleymanova, Masuda Ahmedova, Nasiba Satarova, head of ‘Meros’ group Zamira Rakhmatullaeva and others have brought up several generations of musicians.
The Hamza Republican State Musical College merged with Uspensky RSMAL in 2010, thereby significantly expanding the composition of students and the teaching staff. The curriculum was enriched with new disciplines. Students received the opportunity to learn playing folk instruments, traditional singing and sound engineering. Today, there are 12 departments at the Lyceum.
Concerts are the integral part of learning. For example, 387 concerts were organized in 2014 alone. Each actor needs stage performance skills. Children learn soloing and performing with the team. There are seven choirs, chamber, symphonic and folk orchestras, several quartets at the Lyceum.
By performing, students not just share the wonderful moments of touching the high art with the audience, but also learn to be compassionate. There is a striking example of a unique project ‘Children for Children’, initiated by students: the funds raised at the concert are allocated for the purchase of medicines for children, who stay on treatment at the Research Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion. Little musicians inspire them by their performance, strengthen their faith and hope for recovery.
Young musicians decently represent the national music and performance school at international competitions, win many prestigious creative competitions in Germany, Italy, Russia, France, Ukraine and many other countries. This year alone, RSMAL students have won 40 international competitions. Failures happen along with numerous victories. They cultivate fortitude, ability not to give up, but analyze shortcomings and move on.
RSMAL hosts international competitions too. For example, a classical instruments competition Istedod was held for the first time last year. A folk instruments competition ‘Ona Yurt Ohanglari’, where RSMAL students demonstrated the results of introduction of new disciplines, has recently completed. Such competitions are also a platform for teachers to share their experiences.
RSMAL graduates remain a part of it forever. They come back to the native school to ask advice from a teacher, to perform on the first and favorite stage, as well as share their experience with the new generation of musicians.
Henceforth, the baton of the talent foundry goes to the State Conservatory of Uzbekistan. Its new building, which is unique for Central Asia, provides 312 spacious, light and well equipped classrooms, four halls, three equipped recording studios, a museum of national instruments, a laboratory. The Conservatory is attended by 1,400 students from all regions of the republic. Young people are provided with every opportunity to get a decent education. A musical theatre studio, which has been operating at the Conservatory since the middle of the last century, is a platform for the professional growth of musicians. Often studio teams become the first serious step in the orchestra and solo career of students. The program of orchestras is built for the whole academic year, free concerts are held at least once a month. This way, students study a huge world of orchestral life, including rehearsals, selection of the repertoire, and much more.
The learning system in the conservatory is different from that in other universities by the focus on individual classes. In this case, the education of a future musician depends on the teachers. Therefore, the administration ensures that the study at the country’s only music high school was provided by professionals. There are no similar institutions in our country. That is why the administration is currently organizing teacher training in conservatories abroad. Next year, more teachers will share their experiences with their foreign colleagues.
The work on international cooperation has been underway for many years. The Conservatory is not just school, but the country’s major music venue. Most of the foreign visitors, who come to perform in Uzbekistan, conduct workshops for students. RSMAL has signed more than 10 memoranda with universities around the world.
The International Jazz Festival, initiated by the UNESCO Office in Uzbekistan, ranks among the most exciting events that are held by the Conservatory. Domestic and foreign jazz musicians perform on different stages of the capital and other cities of the country throughout April. The musical forum has already won its audience, and it is growing year by year. Next year, in addition to jazz festival, it is scheduled to hold the first international festival of organ music. These concerts are held rarely and always collect a full house. There are few singers in our country, so it was decided to invite musicians from abroad, to attach young people to this thrust.
Roots of the Music
The further development of the music art is largely dependent on the continuation of the traditions of composer school. It has existed in Uzbekistan for a long time, and is carefully preserved by modern composers. Famous composers Mukhtar Ashrafi, Manas Leviev, Mutal Burkhanov, Suleiman Yudakov and others stood at its origins last century. They gave impetus to the development of the national school of music, which was built on a unique synthesis of classical Uzbek melodies and world canons of composition.
With gaining independence, domestic composers got a chance to enter the world stage. The works of our composers are constantly heard in different cities of Russia, in Germany, India, the USA, Japan and many other countries. Opuses by Mustafo Bafoev, Dilorom Saydaminova, Habibulla Rahimov, Rustam Abdullayev, Farhod Alimov, Anvar Ergashev, Felix and Dmitry Yanov-Yanovsky’s and others introduce connoisseurs around the globe to the musical art of Uzbekistan.
The Union of Composers has initiated many memory evenings of great composers, competitions and festivals. Tashkent and Samarkand have been hosting the International Festival of Symphonic Music since 1998. Music historians, conductors, performers and composers from different countries are well aware that, along with national art of music, Uzbekistan has been developing international art. The Davr Sadolari Festival, which was held in 2004-2005, 2008, 2013 and 2015, became a kind of creative report of the Union of Composers. The spectators were presented the latest works of domestic composers in all genres.
The Nazira Ahmedova Republican Vocal Competition, which has been held since 2002, has become a tradition. It reveals the best young opera singers. The ‘Young Composers’ contest has been held since 1998 in collaboration with the State Conservatory. It not just discovers the best, but also gives the opportunity for young composers to demonstrate their skills, and present his creations to the public.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)
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