Delegation of MFA to participate in the meeting of the Dialogue “Central Asia plus Japan”. 2
export
Uzbekistan has been dynamically and sustainably developing the national system of cotton fiber certification
This would allow not just enhancing the competitiveness of the local cotton on the world market, but earning loyalty of foreign customers by providing them with internationally conventional quality indexes and criteria for the ‘white gold’. The First Deputy General Director of Uzbek Center ‘Sifat’, Bakhtiyor Baikhanov, told Uzbekistan Today about the further development of the sector:
“In the years since independence, Uzbekistan has radically transformed its cotton industry and ensured an incremental improvement of quality of fiber. Established in 1992, the Sifat Center has been studying and breaking the causes of the opinion of low consumer and quality indicators of Uzbek cotton, which existed those days among certain participants of the world cotton market. As shown by the research and analysis, Uzbek cotton is not inferior to foreign counterparts in its characteristics. The conclusions were based on the outdated methods and criteria for evaluation of cotton fiber.
New standard samples of appearance of the Uzbek cotton fiber were produced in 1994, and presented first at the Bremen Cotton Exchange, and then in the Liverpool Cotton Association. Uzbekistan was actively supported by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. In 1995, the two parties developed a unique joint project to streamline cotton production and, build up-to-date laboratories to control quality of cotton fiber.
In 1999-2000, the Japanese Tomen Corporation built 13 modern laboratories with advanced HVI systems by Zellweger Uster to check quality of the fiber in all regions of the republic. Today, the Uzbek Center Sifat offers Central Asia’s only cotton classifier courses. The courses graduated over 1,000 specialists from 15 countries.
Today, the Uzbek Center Sifat is accredited for certification of cotton, linter, cotton technical seeds, vegetable oil, meal, food and technical hydrogenated fat, soap.
We do not stop at what we have achieved, and are planning to carry out several interesting initiatives in the coming years. By the end of 2017 Uzbekistan is intending to purchase 18 automated systems Uster HVI 1,000 MA to determine the quality parameters of cotton fiber by the globally recognized indicators.
Two sets of equipment currently undergo pilot testing in Sifat Center laboratories in Tashkent and in Syrdarya region. This year we are going to buy four more sets.
New devices will provide a maximum accuracy of length, strength, reflectance ratio, yellowness degree and fiber micronaire, as well as its impurity and uniformity index. They will also define fiber grade and class under Uzbek standards, as well as the presence of defects and contaminants. The characteristics will be measured in compliance with the requirements for temperature and humidity with special climate control systems to be purchased.
Specialists are also working on the development of an innovative information system, integrating a database of testing laboratories in regions with Tashkent and customers around the world. It will empower a prompt exchange of information on the quantity and quality of the tested batches of cotton fiber, linter and technical seeds.
We have also developed a useful software product – the National Database for Cotton Fiber, which stores full bale information on a dozen of qualitative characteristics of fiber of all the cotton varieties cultivated in the country. The dynamics of improvement of fiber in classes and varieties has been obvious in recent years.”
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)
International cooperation
Delegation of MFA to participate in the meeting of the Dialogue “Central Asia plus Japan”
On March 25, 2016, in Tokyo, the Delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan will take part in the 11th Meeting of the Senior Officials of the “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue.
During the visit of the Delegation of the MFA to Japan it is expected to be held the next round of bilateral political consultations, as well as a number of other meetings and negotiations.
(Source: Press Service of the MFA of the Republic of Uzbekistan)
Society
Preparations for Elections
Svetlana Artikova, Deputy Chairperson of the Oliy Majlis Senate:
“Preparations have started in Uzbekistan for the organization and conducting elections of chairpersons and their councilors of citizens’ assemblies, which will be held in May-June 2016.
“I would like to admit that the mahalla (neighborhood) plays a great role in the preservation and multiplication of national traditions and values, in raising the population’s political and legislative awareness culture. It is one of the specific features of the national way of life and, as a form of joint cohabitation of people since ancient times has promoted the implementation of ideas of kindness, creativity, compassion, mutual support and solidarity. Being a unique system of self-governance, which may be called a prototype of the civil society institution, it has no analogues in the world and has evolved over the centuries and maintained the best traditions.
“The Concept of further deepening democratic reforms and shaping the civil society in the country advanced by the head of the state and approved by the Parliament, has turned into a major stage in the further consolidation of legal foundations of the citizens’ self-government bodies. Amendments and alterations have been introduced into the Laws “On the citizens’ self-government bodies” and “On the election of chairperson (elder) and his/her councilors of the citizens’ assemblies” within the framework of practical realization of this document in 2013, which had expanded the powers of the mahalla institute and improved the system of election of these bodies. The current elections will be held on the basis of those legal acts.
“The upcoming elections of chairpersons (elders) and councilors of the citizens’ assemblies will be held on the eve of the 25th anniversary of independence of our Motherland under qualitatively new socio-economic and socio-political conditions of shaping up a strong civil society. 9764 chairpersons (elders) and more than 99 thousand of their councilors are going to be elected at the upcoming elections.
“The formation of commissions of local Kengashes (Councils) of people’s deputies on promotion of organization of elections from among the persons with knowledge and experience in conducting them, and recognition and respect among the population play an important role at the preparatory stage.
“Besides, the working groups from among representatives of the citizens’ assemblies, non-government and non-commercial and such other organization located on relevant territories, as well as members of related district (municipal) Kengashes of people’s deputies, are planned to be formed by the decisions of the citizens’ assemblies.
“Also important are the questions of organizational, legal and technical logistics, implementation of priority tasks facing the local Kengashes of people’s deputies, the Mahalla Foundation and other public and state structures on the promotion of organization and conducting elections, as well as their broad coverage in mass media.
“It is key to ensure the organizational and legislative conditions for the citizens’ right to take part in them and fully implement their constitutional rights, observation of legal requirements by all participants in the election process, introduce candidates to positions of chairpersons and councilors of citizens’ assemblies, their moral and professional competencies in the course of preparation for and conducting this campaign.
“The commission of the Senate Kengash has specified concrete measures on ensuring the rule of law, openness and transparency in conducting the elections, broad explanation of the norms of election legislation, coordination of the commissions’ activities on promotion of organization and conducting the elections.
“The activities of information services will be organized for the purpose of ensuring openness of all stages of organization and conducting elections on the ground.”
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)
Reference to the source is a must in reproducing materials