INFORMATION DIGEST OF PRESS OF UZBEKISTAN # 56

March 22, 2017

NOWRUZ-2017
Holiday congratulations of the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the people of Uzbekistan

STATE VISIT OF PRESIDENT OF UZBEKISTAN TO KAZAKHSTAN
On state visit of President of Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan

INVESTMENTS
Provincial Projects of National Scale

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Meeting of working groups of Governmental delegations of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan

On upcoming Uzbek-Hindi political consultations

Countering Extremism and Terrorism

NOWRUZ-2017

Holiday congratulations of the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the people of Uzbekistan
Dear compatriots!
The beautiful and pleasant spring season’s holiday, which we all have been waiting for, Nowruz is coming to our native land.
I cordially congratulate all our compatriots, seniors and juniors, on this great Eastern new year holiday.
On this nice day, I wish you good health, happiness and good luck, and wish your families peace and serenity as well as prosperity.
Esteemed friends!
This year’s Nowruz holiday is being celebrated in all the towns and villages of our country in the form of festive walks, which makes it kind of special.
The spirit and philosophy of Nowruz are harmonious and consonant with the ideas and goals of the Year of Dialogue with the People and Human Interests.
In our country, people are congratulating each other and are celebrating the Nowruz holiday with lifted spirits in expanses and mountain foothills, gardens and parks. Sumalak (sweet paste made from young wheat) and other viands of the spring season are being cooked. Entertainment events are taking place. And they are saying thanks to God almighty for giving them these bright days.
Good things such as reciprocal love and generosity, visits to honourable elders, the provision of help for those in need and voluntary work to further improve the land make the Nowruz holiday even more special.
Esteemed compatriots!
Today hardworking farm labourers and farmers are starting their new season with a lot of hope. We all genuinely congratulate them, express the best wishes and say: May it be a good year for you, and may you reap a good harvest.
Nowruz is the most-loved holiday for all the nationalities and ethnic groups living in our country, for the entire nation.
While celebrating this great holiday in our country, we wish for world peace and wish the peoples of all states, near and far away, development and prosperity.
Dear and esteemed compatriots!
Once again congratulating you all on the Nowruz holiday, I express my most cordial feelings.
May the Nowruz holiday bring further prosperity, happiness, peace and harmony to our land.
May there be more good days and celebrations in every family’s home.
May all our noble dreams come true.
May there always be peace in our nation and clear skies above.
Happy Nowruz to you all!
Shavkat Mirziyoyev
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
(Source: UzA)

STATE VISIT OF PRESIDENT OF UZBEKISTAN TO KAZAKHSTAN

On state visit of President of Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev will pay a state visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan on 22-23 March 2017 at the invitation of President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
During the meetings and negotiations at the highest level the state and prospects of developing relations between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in political, commercial-economic, investment, transport-communications, cultural-humanitarian and other spheres, as well as topical issues of regional and international politics will be discussed.
A National industrial exhibition of Uzbekistan and a joint business forum of representatives of business circles of the two countries is to be organized within the framework of the visit.
The parties plan to sign a solid package of bilateral documents of inter-state, inter-governmental and inter-agency nature as well as large commercial contracts, aimed at elevating the Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan cooperation to a qualitatively new level.
(Source: UzA)

INVESTMENTS

Provincial Projects of National Scale
365 promising industrial and 680 agricultural projects have been scheduled for the current year in Karakalpakstan.
Last year, the region disbursed 194.6 billion soums (currency rates of CB RU from 22.03.2017, 1$= 3500.01 soums) and $7.5 million of investments, implemented 2,100 projects, and created 9,900 jobs.
For instance, Kardar Ishab Chiqarish Mahsulotlari company of Nukus established the production of coal briquettes through the 500 million soums loan. El Rozi Nur company of Ellikkala district manufactures heat insulation materials on the basis of vermiculite processing owing to 250 million soums of investments.
Jumurtau Ideal company in Amudarya district expanded the production of construction material of gravel by means of 930 million soums of investments.
"We keep the process going this year: we have planned 2,235 projects and establishment of 15,300 new jobs," said Mahmud Kushimbetov, Deputy Head of Department of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Karakalpakstan. “The projects will mainly focus on modernization and diversification of production, enhanced processing of raw materials, and establishment of production of high-quality goods.”
It is envisaged to build and commission several big up-to-date enterprises in Karakalpakstan as part of the integrated territorial program on industrial, agricultural and service development. The commissioning of enterprises on processing 8,000 tons of polyethylene and polypropylene pellets, manufactures of pipes of various diameter, bags, and transformer substations is scheduled for this August in Nukus.
Empowered by 250.5 billion soums of investment, Nukus Med Tex Company will establish the manufacture of 250 million syringes and infusion systems per year. A modern textile enterprise Shumanay Eco Tex with a capacity of 3,500 tons of yarn per year will be built in the Shumanay district.
Along with ensuring employment primarily with respect to young people, such projects contribute to the development of the country’s economy, and people’s welfare.
(Source: IA «Uzbekistan Today»)

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Meeting of working groups of Governmental delegations of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan
On March 19, 2017, 10-day talks of the working groups of the Governmental delegations of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic on delimitation and demarcation of the Uzbek-Kyrgyz State border were successfully concluded in Osh (Kyrgyzstan).
Within the framework of the negotiations, joint field surveys and geodetic measurements were carried out on the most difficult sections of the interstate border line within the Andijan, Namangan and Ferghana regions of the Republic of Uzbekistan along the Batken, Jalal-Abad and Osh regions of the Kyrgyz Republic.
A respective protocol was signed after the talks.
The meeting was held in a working atmosphere and constructive spirit.
(Source: Press Service of the MFA of the Republic of Uzbekistan)

On upcoming Uzbek-Hindi political consultations
On March 23, 2017, Delhi will host the inter-ministerial political consultations of the delegations of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of India headed by the Deputy Foreign Ministries.
(Source: Press Service of the MFA of the Republic of Uzbekistan)

Countering Extremism and Terrorism
Tashkent hosted an Uzbek-British seminar "Actual issues of counteraction to violent extremism and terrorism: the experience of Uzbekistan and the United Kingdom".
It was organized by the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan in conjunction with the Royal Institute of Joint Forces (RUSI). The event was attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Great Britain to Uzbekistan Christopher Allan, British experts and scholars, representatives of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of Uzbekistan, the Committee for Religious Affairs, the Tashkent Islamic University, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Mahalla Foundation, and the Independent Institute for Monitoring the Formation of Civil Society.
During the forum, announced were Uzbekistan’s achievements in building a modern developed democratic state, recent initiatives and measures taken by the republic’s leadership in the further development of civil society and socio-economic transformations in the country within the framework of the Strategy for Actions in 2017-2021. The fifth priority direction of the Strategy, providing for religious tolerance and interethnic consent caused the interest of British experts.
During the seminar it was noted that the RUSI established more than 100 years ago, enjoys well-deserved authority in Western political circles and carries out its activities under the personal patronage of the Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. On the basis of analysis of world development trends in the field of security and politics, the experts of this institute elaborate proposals and recommendations for the British government which are used to make important government decisions.
The main topic of the sessions was the exchange of views and analysis of current trends in the field of countering religious extremism, terrorism, radical ideology, and seeking common ways to increase the effectiveness of the international community’s efforts to combat transnational challenges and threats.
Today the leading analytical centers of the world deny the previously used opportunistic approaches, explaining the factors and reasons that encourage people to join the activities of terrorist and religious extremist organizations.
Previously, it was supposed that the majority of terrorists were despaired people who under the pressure of social and economic problems and from despair were involved in this illegal activity. However, the current realities clearly showed the complexity of this problem. Today we observe that the citizens from developed and prosperous countries are increasingly engaged in the ranks of terrorists.
In these conditions, there arises the need for joint coordinated proactive actions by the international community to create an atmosphere of rejection for terrorism and extremism in all their forms and manifestations, to identify and eliminate the real causes and conditions that contribute to the emergence and spread of these dangerous threats.
At the same time, it is difficult to overestimate the importance of sharing best practices, bringing and explaining the positions of countries in the fight against the above transnational challenges and threats of the present.
The RUSI, recognizing the key role of Uzbekistan in ensuring regional security in Central Asia, as well as positive experience in combating cross-border challenges and threats of the present, expressed interest in further advancement of mutually beneficial cooperation with research structures of Uzbekistan, including joint events on topical issues.
On the assumption of this, during the panel meetings and discussions the participants from Uzbekistan provided scientifically grounded information about the policy conducted in the country in the spiritual-educational and religious spheres, the achieved results on the formation of a stable immunity to various destructive ideas in the society.
The unique experience of Uzbekistan on propagating the true values of Islam both in the country and abroad, spreading knowledge about traditional Islam as an significant tool for combating the ideology of extremism and terrorism, the role of state, public and educational structures in this process, measures to prevent and ban the spread of extremist ideas among young people, their upbringing in the spirit of patriotism, love for the Motherland, active participation in the socio-political life of the country is of particular interest in the British side.
British experts got acquainted with the initiatives of Uzbekistan during the chairmanship of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, in particular, on fortification of its role as an effective and authoritative forum of Muslim states. Last October, Tashkent was chosen as the venue for an important OIC forum, and it was deeply symbolic that the main theme of the agenda was the theme "Education and enlightenment - the path to peace and creation". Today, when the world is changing rapidly, nations face new challenges and threats to stability and sustainable development, the attention to education, spiritual and moral principles, cultivating the desire for knowledge and the need for self-improvement in young people is important as never before.
It was noted that the creation of the Imam al-Bukhari International Center in Samarkand on the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev is aimed at broadly popularizing the heritage of our great ancestors - thinkers of the Islamic world and their invaluable contribution to the development of world civilization.
As a result of the bilateral event, the RUSI is planning to prepare and publish an analytical report based, as well as on presentations and comments by Uzbek participants in the seminar which will reflect the experience of the two countries in countering religious extremism and terrorism in its periodicals and on the Institute’s website.
(As part of the social order of the Oliy Majlis Public Fund for the Support of NGOs and Other Civil Society Institutions).
(Source: IA «Uzbekistan Today»)

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