INFORMATION DIGEST OF PRESS OF UZBEKISTAN # 89

May 6, 2017

OFFICIALLY
Uzbek universities to accept over 71,300 students in 2017/2018 academic year

ECONOMY
The Uzbek-American automaker GM Uzbekistan has launched the production of a fully renovated business-class sedan Chevrolet Malibu

12TH SESSION OF THE SCO FORUM IN TASHKENT
On May 11-12, a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Forum is scheduled in Tashkent

THE STRATEGY OF ACTIONS ON FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF UZBEKISTAN
Essential Step toward Increasing Transparency

OFFICIALLY

Uzbek universities to accept over 71,300 students in 2017/2018 academic year
Higher educational establishments of Uzbekistan will admit over 71,316 students in 2017/2018 academic year.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a resolution “On admission to higher education establishments of Uzbekistan in 2017/2018 academic year” on 5 May.
The document set admission quotas for universities. The quota for new education year was not changed.
In line with the resolution, the Uzbek universities will accept 66,316 people (last year - 57,907 students) to Bachelor degree courses, including 18,194 (19,120) – on state grants and 48,121 people (38,787) – on payment-contract base.
In new academic year, the quota for admission to Master degree courses makes up 5000 people (last year – 5,000), including 1,556 people (1,548) – on state grants and 3,444 (3,452) people – on payment-contract base.
From new academic year, universities of Uzbekistan allowed to accept additional students with the higher contract fee.
The document said that number of quotas for additional admission to higher educational institutions at higher contract rates will be set by the State Commission, based on the existing potential of the higher educational institution and areas of education.
The commission will set the sum of contract based on score of the prospective students in entrance exams.
Additional admission at higher contract rates will be strictly conducted in accordance with the order of applicants, who did not get a passing score (at least 68 points) and their ability to pay the contract fee.
(Source: UzDaily.com)

ECONOMY

The Uzbek-American automaker GM Uzbekistan has launched the production of a fully renovated business-class sedan Chevrolet Malibu
The new car is not just more efficient and technologically advanced, but it has also significantly improved its performance in terms of comfort and safety. Malibu will be assembled by the SKD large-block assembly technology at the company’s branch in Tashkent.
"The new model differs from the previous generation by completely different exterior and interior design, and is stuffed with advanced technical innovations. So, it has a 2.5 liter engine with a capacity of 186 horsepower, a 6-speed automatic transmission of a new generation, which ensures a reduction in fuel consumption down to 10.8 liters per 100 kilometers," the company’s press service reported.
Regarding safety, the new car is equipped with an advanced protection system - it has eight airbags that are located on the ceiling and for the rear passengers, stability control and an anti-slip system.
Developers approached the Malibu electronic stuffing with special concern. For example, the center console has a seven inches Touch Screen with entertainment and information complex MyLink. The built-in noise reduction system in the cabin ensures automatic redemption of all foreign sounds by the electronic control unit when the norms are exceeded.
There is a new function of remote control of a car without using a key. The function provides starting and shutting off the engine, the opportunity of remote locking and unlocking the door and luggage compartment locks, heating of steering wheel with the function of storing the set temperature parameters for two different drivers.
In the Uzbek market, the car will be presented in four colors - pearly white, white-smoky, dark gray and black.
According to the manufacturer, the delivery terms of the car will not exceed three months due to the fact that the model is produced by the method of coarse-node assembly and by advanced orders, in contrast to completely localized base models that are produced in full-scale assembly mode.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

12TH SESSION OF THE SCO FORUM IN TASHKENT

On May 11-12, a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Forum is scheduled in Tashkent
Today we talk about this structure with the guest of the editorial office – an expert on Uzbek-Chinese relations Oleg Limanov.
SCO Forum is not all the well-known platform and there is practically no information about it. Explain, please, what is this event like?
The SCO Forum is a multilateral consultative and expert independent mechanism for scientific and research support of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The Forum serves as an important platform for discussion and elaboration of proposals and recommendations on all important topical issues and areas of its activities.
The work of the Forum is based on regulations adopted with the active participation of the expert community of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The structure consists of one analytical institution from each member state in the status of the SCO National Research Center. In Uzbekistan, the Center for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan is defined as such. The first meeting of this structure took place in May 2006 in Moscow on the basis of MGIMO (University), in the Center for East Asia and the SCO, which acts as the National Research Center of SCO from Russia.
As it is known, the development of the SCO is taking place against the backdrop of dynamic and significant changes in the international and regional environment characterized by the consolidation of relations and interdependence of the subjects of international relations, the globalization of challenges and the emergence of unconventional threats to security. In addition, the processes and trends that occur both within the SCO member states themselves and around it have a considerable impact on the development of the organization.
In these conditions, deep scientific understanding, analysis of current processes and phenomena, search for optimal ways to achieve the organization’s main goals are, of course, topical tasks that require the mobilization of intellectual resources of all our countries.
The SCO Forum is also unique in that it is possible to generate new ideas in its activities that contribute to the further development of the organization.
Over the past 12 years, the platform has turned into a convenient stage for a more free and simultaneously full exchange of views between scientists and experts who provide the necessary academic and expert support to the activities of the SCO.
What issues are usually considered on the agenda of the Forum?
The agenda of each session of the SCO Forum includes a wide range of topical issues of the Organization’s activities, ranging from regional and international security and stability issues, trade and economic issues, investment-financial, cultural-humanitarian cooperation, and ending with a broad list of cooperation in various spheres of SCO activity.
It is important to emphasize that the agenda of each meeting of the Forum is seriously worked out with the active participation of responsible specialists and experts from national research centers and other analytical structures of member countries of the organization.
The previous SCO Forum in Tashkent was held in 2011 and was also filled with an informative agenda. Can you remind our readers about the results of that session?
The sixth session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Forum was held on May 27-28, 2011, in Tashkent. It was attended by delegations of national research centers of member states, experts from SCO observer countries, representatives of the Secretariat and Executive Committee of the SCO RATS, the diplomatic corps in Uzbekistan.
During the meeting, the forum participants focused on the results of the SCO summit held in Tashkent in June 2010. An exchange of views took place on further development of the Shanghai Organization, ensuring security in the Central Asian region, implementing mutually beneficial investment and trade and economic projects.
One of the important events during the chairmanship of Uzbekistan in the SCO was the signing of the Joint Declaration on Cooperation between the Secretariats of the SCO and the UN in April 2010 in Tashkent, during the visit of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The Forum participants expressed their conviction that the adoption of this document will make it possible to use the UN rostrum more actively to solve the tasks facing the SCO and to jointly promote the interests of the member states of the organization in its framework.
Contributors to the session also recognized the need to create favorable conditions in the trade, economic and investment spheres, implementation of joint regional and interregional projects for the development of transport and communication infrastructure.
It was noted the need for further dynamic development and strengthening of the organization, increasing the effectiveness of implementation of decisions based on strict compliance with the SCO Charter, other agreements and procedures adopted within the framework of the organization.
What contribution does the Republic of Uzbekistan make to the development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization?
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has for a relatively short period turned into an influential international structure that plays an important role in world politics.
Uzbekistan, being one of the founding members of the SCO, on a par with other member states, defines the strategy for developing cooperation within the organization.
Our country supports the continuation of the policy strictly consistent with the goals, objectives and principles of the SCO activities, as set out in the Charter and other fundamental documents of the organization, stands for the elaboration and implementation of initiatives related to ensuring security and stability, sustainable socio-economic development of the countries of the region, Activity and international authority of the SCO. Particular attention is paid to strengthening the openness of the organization, excluding bloc or confrontational character.
The Republic of Uzbekistan always attaches priority importance and with strict responsibility approaches its responsibilities within the organization. The successful holding of the three SCO summits in Tashkent, as well as the presence in the capital of our country of one of the two permanent structures of the Shanghai Organization – the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), is a clear indication of this.
Moreover, Tashkent’s initiatives are aimed at developing fruitful cooperation with member states, observer countries and dialogue partners.
The 15th Tashkent Jubilee Summit of the SCO, held on June 23-24, 2016, was a historic event in the development of the organization as a multilateral mechanism to address the pressing problems of our time, ensure security and stability in the region and the world as a whole. The high-level policy decisions open new prospects for further development and diversification of Uzbekistan’s international cooperation in the fields of politics, security, trade, economy, investment, transport communications, taking into account the national interests of our country.
The signing of memorandums on the obligations of India and Pakistan in order to obtain the status of the SCO member state confirmed the unchanged basic principles and provisions of the Charter of the Shanghai Organization (consensus, openness for cooperation, non-alignment, de-ideologization). The Tashkent Declaration underscored the direction of unification against third countries or international organizations, does not envisage the transformation of the SCO into a military-political union and / or economic integration association with the formation of supranational institutions of governance.
In general, Uzbekistan as a member state always strictly adheres to and observes the principles of continuity and consistent, mutually beneficial development of cooperation that meets the interests of all SCO countries, as well as ensuring the steady growth of the organization’s authority in the international arena. Uzbekistan is also committed to preserving the atmosphere of community and teamwork within the organization, supports the "Shanghai spirit", whose main content is mutual trust and benefit, equality, mutual consultations, respect for the diversity of cultures and civilizations, aspiration for joint development.
Currently, the SCO covers 18 states: 6 full members, 6 observer nations and 6 partner countries for dialogue and, according to various estimates, unites more than 3 billion people of our planet, that is, about 44% of the population of the whole world. It is an authoritative international association, establishing cooperation with which are interested many countries from different regions of the world - the Middle East, Europe, Southeast Asia and the Pacific region.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

THE STRATEGY OF ACTIONS ON FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF UZBEKISTAN

Essential Step toward Increasing Transparency
The second session of the International Press Club was conducted dedicated to one of the key issues of the domestic policy - the activities of the internal affairs bodies within the framework of the tasks defined by the Strategy for Actions of the development of Uzbekistan along five priority directions in 2017-2021.
The speakers were the Minister of Abdusalom Azizov, head of the Main Traffic Safety Directorate of the Interior Ministry Holmatjon Saidaliyev, head of the Department for the Prevention of Offenses of the Tashkent Central Internal Affairs Directorate Dilshod Akramov.
The meeting was also attended by the representatives of the National Center for Human Rights, the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Justice, the Youth Civic Movement “Kamolot”, the Mahalla Foundation, and the NGOs.
Abdusalom Azizov told the representatives of domestic and international mass media about the reforms carried out in the system of internal affairs, as well as the tasks set in the framework of the Strategy for Actions.
The internal affairs bodies managed to preserve the quiet life of the population in the years of independence and protect the rights and interests of citizens through their professional work. Our dynamically developing country is not called "an island of stability and peaceful life in Central Asia" in vain, the minister stressed.
He noted that in front of the internal affairs there are big challenges for the future. The main one is to make their activities closer to the people.
To this end, the administrative staff will be reduced in district offices, and the released employees will work with the population in the districts and towns. There are 175 additional branches of law enforcement bodies in densely populated, remote district centers and points. This will allow us to solve quickly and qualitatively many problems on the spot.
Intensifying the preventive service is another significant factor, to which additional staff members were allocated. As a result, in each settlement there will be a supporting point of the internal affairs agencies, as well as the work of the local police officer for prevention who will be constantly near the population. Every citizen can address him at any time with any question and receive timely assistance.
At the meeting it was also stressed that over the past six months the drastic changes were happened in the field of legislative regulation of law enforcement agencies. First, one of the most important events was the adoption of the law "On the bodies of internal affairs " which provided a uniform regulatory and legal policy regarding the Ministry of Internal Affairs in place of previously uncoordinated by-law acts. Secondly, great attention is placed on the work of law enforcement bodies at the downstream level - in mahallas and districts, and law enforcement agencies in the prevention of violations. Thirdly, in order to enhance the effectiveness of the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a number of presidential decrees and orders were adopted aimed at structural changes in the department.
The work of internal affairs bodies for the prevention of violations and crimes, especially among young people is cardinally improving. The Presidential Decree established the Republican interdepartmental commission for the prevention of crime and the fight against crime, the working body of which is the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In addition, the establishment of the post of the deputy head for youth affairs is planned in the territorial departments.
During the meeting, the media representatives asked the speakers on a number of topical issues that the public is interested in today. For example, how will the system of video recording violations on the roads of the capital in the future be functioned, and will it be introduced in other cities of the country? What changes are planned for the registration of the documents to travel abroad? What actions the Ministry of Internal Affairs intends to take to promote the work of local police inspectors for prevention? The journalists received detailed answers to these and many other questions.
The regular meeting of the International Press Club, in the opinion of its participants, was a significant step in boosting the openness of the bodies of internal affairs, their transformation into a socially-oriented professional service.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

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