INFORMATION DIGEST OF PRESS OF UZBEKISTAN # 92

May 12, 2017

THE STATE VISIT PRESIDENT OF UZBEKISTAN TO CHINA
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived on a state visit in China

ENERGETICS
Uzbekistan to build 42 new hydropower plants

EXPORT
Uzbekistan exported $11.1bn in 2016

XII SESSION OF SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION FORUM
XII session of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Forum begins in Tashkent

HISTORY
The Role of Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan in World History

THE STRATEGY OF ACTIONS ON FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF UZBEKISTAN
Strategic sector of the economy

TOURISM
Boysun Bahori to Welcome Guests Again

THE STATE VISIT PRESIDENT OF UZBEKISTAN TO CHINA

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrives in Beijing
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev with spouse arrived May 11 in the People’s Republic of China on a state visit at the invitation of PRC President Xi Jinping.
State flags of the two countries were raised and a guard of honor was lined up at Beijing’s Shoudu international airport in honor of the leader of Uzbekistan.
The main events of the visit of the President of Uzbekistan scheduled for 12-13 May 2017.
The current state and prospects of bilateral relations, priority areas of consolidating and steady development of long-term partnership between Uzbekistan and the PRC will be discussed during the meetings with President of the PRC Xi Jinping, Premier of the State Council Li Keqiang, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Zhang Dejiang and other high-level officials. The parties will also exchange views on regional and international issues.
The agenda of the visit envisages a meeting of the Head of our state with representatives of leading Chinese companies and firms, in which the possibilities of joint realization of mutually beneficial projects in Uzbekistan through attracting modern technologies will be considered.
Following the negotiations at the highest level, the parties will adopt a Joint Declaration, sign several intergovernmental and other documents, aimed at deepening Uzbekistan-China ties in different spheres. Conclusion of a solid package of contracts and agreements between the business circles of the two countries in the trade-economic, investment and finance areas are expected within the visit.
On 14-15 May 2017, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev will also take part at the ‘One Belt, One Road’ international forum in Beijing.
(Source: UzA)

ENERGETICS

Uzbekistan to build 42 new hydropower plants
The Program of measures for further development of hydropower on the 2017-2021 years.
It was approved by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to consistently increase the use of renewable energy sources, to create on this basis new environmentally friendly generating capacities, to ensure the technical and technological re-equipment of existing hydroelectric power stations on the basis of modern technologies, efficient water resources management, taking into account the intensive development of international best practices, as well as to improve the balance of energy resources and on this basis to best meet the needs of enterprises and population in electric energy.
It is planned to build 42 new and modernize 32 operating hydroelectric power stations in the system of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan, JSC "Uzbekenergo", on natural watercourses and water management facilities of the republic.
In the process of technology implementation, it is planned to introduce modern and comprehensively grounded scientific and technical solutions in the design and construction of large, medium, small and micro hydroelectric power stations.
(Source: IA «Uzbekistan Today»)

EXPORT

Uzbekistan exported $11.1bn in 2016
The Banking and Finance Academy held the Republican scientific-practical conference on the theme: "Export potential of the Republic of Uzbekistan: conditions and perspectives for growth".
The analysis of exports of our Republic for the years of independence demonstrates the presence of changes in the direction of export diversification. The most important aspect – while in 1990 exports of cotton fiber accounted for 60% of total exports, in 2016 this figure amounted to only 5.1%, this figure fell almost 12 times. In addition, the share of services has increased more than 25 times from 1% to 25.5%. The growth of export of food products increased from 4% to 8.5%; chemical products and materials - from 2% to 6.7%.
In general, with exports amounting to $11.1bn, in 2016 Uzbekistan was placed 84th in the ranking of 224 countries of the world, with the share of small businesses in exports amounting to 28.6%. In addition, despite the volatility in global market conditions, some $16.6 bn were invested into national economy, which is 9.6% more than in 2015.
(Source: UzReport.uz)

XII SESSION OF SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION FORUM

XII session of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Forum begins in Tashkent
XII session of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Forum begins in Tashkent This session was arranged by the strategic and interregional research institute at the Presidency of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan.
The session is being attended by experts of leading research centres of the SCO’s member states Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, acceding states India and Pakistan, observer states Iran, Afghanistan and Belarus, representatives of the Executive Committee of the SCO regional anti-terror structure and the SCO Secretariat and representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Uzbekistan.
In recent years, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization took up a prestigious position among international and regional organizations. Today the SCO is working effectively in such areas as interstate relations, security, stability and development.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Forum is a multi-lateral independent consultative mechanism on the provision of help and scientific support for SCO member states’ scientific research and political centres, the expansion of relations among them, the conduct of research into certain issues in order to increase the effectiveness of the SCO’s functioning.
On the first day of the SCO Forum’s session, discussion is being held about the results of the Tashkent meeting of the Council of the SCO Heads of State that took place in June 2016.
It was said that in the period of Uzbekistan’s chairmanship of the SCO in the years of 2015-2016, large-scale work had been carried out to build up the international prestige of the SCO and to increase the effectiveness of its work.
The documents signed at last year’s summit serve to further step up the SCO’s work in priority areas and to carry out practical tasks relating to ensuring peace, stability and development in the region.
At that session of the Council of the SCO Heads of State, an important document – the Tashkent declaration on the results of 15 years of work of the SCO and on priority areas of its development in future was adopted. Another important issue at the summit was a decision on the SCO’s enlargement.
On the first day of the Forum’s session, there is also discussion about the development of cooperation among the SCO’s member states in jointly countering threats to stability and security, and about such areas as economic cooperation and trade, transport and communications, tourism, science and technology.
At the session, representative of Uzbekistan gave a presentation about the Action Strategy for five priority areas of the development of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Detailed information was given about the country’s position on further economic liberalization and foreign investment attraction and about priority areas of the country’s practical and well-thought-out foreign policy.
It was said that this strategy’s goals conformed with the main areas of the SCO’s work directed towards ensuring security and steady development.
The Action Strategy gives special attention to the further extension of cooperation in the sphere of transport and communications, and this is also of benefit to SCO member states.
There was also a presentation about the main provisions of the Year of Dialogue with the People and Human Interests state programme. It was said that within the framework of this programme, large-scale tasks were being carried out to raise the prosperity of the population, to create employment opportunities, to improve the quality of health care services and to further boost the role of neighbourhoods.
The session’s participants favourably evaluated these presentations.
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s firm position “government departments should serve the people, and not the other way round” is an important factor in the implementation of the specified tasks, they said.
At the session, there was an exchange of opinions on the further development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and specifically on the stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan, the ensuring of security and stability in the region and on prospects for the SCO’s enlargement.
(Source: UzA)

HISTORY

The Role of Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan in World History
The international congress ‘Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan as the Path to the Dialogue between the Peoples and Countries’, which will be held on May 15 in Tashkent, will bring together 200 scientists and experts from 20 countries.
This forum will involve experts from UNESCO, UNICEF, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (Germany) and other international organizations, representatives of diplomatic missions, state and public organizations of Uzbekistan, academies, universities, libraries and museums of France, Poland, Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom and many other countries.
The themes list includes the role of the cultural legacy of Uzbekistan in world history, its ethno-cultural interrelations, the artifacts of the country’s art and religious beliefs, and the synthesis of the traditions of the West and the East, and much more.
“This congress is an important step in the implementation of the cultural and educational project ‘Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan in the Collections of the World,” Irina Popova, Director of the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences, emphasized. “The Uzbek land has an ancient original history and a unique cultural tradition, which is evidenced by works of art, manuscripts and books that have spread over various world assemblies. The organizers of the project set a noble goal - to collect them in a single media space and to present it as evidence of world significance, wealth, beauty and uniqueness of the culture of the people of Uzbekistan.”
Professor Shain Mustafayev, corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, noted that Central Asia is one of the oldest centers of human civilization, and the territory of modern Uzbekistan keeps the memory and cultural treasures of the millennia, which are invaluable property of all mankind.
“The highly developed Sapalin archeological culture of the Bronze Age tribes, exquisite examples of material culture of the ancient epoch in the territory of Bactria, Sogd, Choch, Khorezm, high spiritual culture and architectural masterpieces of the Temurid Renaissance epoch - all this cultural wealth the Uzbek people inherited from their thousand-year history and continues to cherish. Many samples of this culture for many different reasons found themselves in many leading museums around the world. This project symbolizes the continuity of the historical memory of the people and allows not only to preserve and pass on the knowledge on their deep cultural roots to future generations, but also to make them the property of connoisseurs of art around the world,” Shain Mustafayev said.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

THE STRATEGY OF ACTIONS ON FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF UZBEKISTAN

Strategic sector of the economy
What measures are undertaken to make share of tourism in GDP of the country much more than two percent?
The civilization has changed radically a way of life, conditions of accommodation of the world’s population. In particular, development of social and economic spheres, increase in welfare of the population, strengthening of urbanization processes promoted growth of needs for tourism. Travel, excursions, rest in the bosom of the nature became a component of modern society, the main forms of recuperation of people, their substantial leisure.
According to the World tourism organization, by the moment on average 1,2 billion people annually make trips. Though just ten years ago, the number of the registered tourists made only 576 million people. There are many factors promoting the accelerated development of the tourism sphere. The main ones are tendency of contemporaries to knowledge of the world, interesting and useful pastime in the bosom of the family, friends, and improvement of health.
Business people also have incentives. Tourism has proved as a highly profitable type of business long ago. As a result the tourism’s contribution to the international gross domestic product makes over 10%, world export of services amounts 30%, and employment of able-bodied population is 8%. What is the situation in the sphere of tourism in Uzbekistan? First of all it should be noted that during the years of independence in economy of our country qualitatively new foundations of tourism based on the market relations and strong standard and legal base are created. Objects of modern infrastructure are built; the new tourist routes meeting the international standards are introduced. The available historical and cultural monuments are repaired, measures are being implemented to familiarize the general public including abroad one with them.
It is confirmed by the article about the most attractive tourism directions in 2017 published in the British newspaper "Financial Times" where in ranking comprising nine states
Uzbekistan took the second place
It’s not a coincidence. Uzbekistan by right is considered one of the countries taking the leading position in the world in terms of number of historical sites and scales for fascinating travels. There are more than seven thousand unique historical monuments and majestic examples of unique architecture on our ancient land. Its picturesque nature reserves and national parks are considered as an invaluable necklace of the richest nature of the country. In the country centuries-old traditions of culture, art and workmanship are carefully maintained and prosper that makes increasing number of foreigners to be emphatic in their desire to visit Uzbekistan. However there are many uninvolved reserves in the domestic sphere of tourism that negatively affects a tourism share in export of services, employment of the population. For these indicators our country lags far behind global average data.
The head of our state has especially noted that the question of development of such important sphere as tourism remained neglected, that should be necessary to increase its contribution to economy of Uzbekistan by realization of special measures, promotion of our historical and cultural values, replenishments of currency funds and others. As data of the State committee on statistics testify, now a tourism share in GDP of the country it is insignificant — some two percent. The number of the firms and organizations involved in tourism activity makes about 400, of them the main part works in Tashkent (73,4%), Samarkand (13,1%), Bukhara (4,5%) and Khorezm (1%). In other words, 92% of firms and the organizations specializing in tourism services, as well as 93,1% of the tourists visiting our country account for these regions. But in our country located at the intersection of tourist routes along the Great silk way all types of the tourism industry can be successfully developed. In particular, the ecotourism as considered the perspective direction, as local landscapes, natural ecosystems and resources can afford a wide variety and huge opportunities for a recreation. And the arid subtropical climate allows rendering services in ecological tourism all the year round.
Our seasons are fine each in own way
Now in many countries of the world wide use of opportunities of the protected natural areas (PNA), fabulously beautiful landscapes, cultural and ethnographic heritage of local population, and other ecological resources has become a practice to develop ecotourism. In the republic there are many unique objects for expansion of scales of ecotourism, including 36 protected natural areas with total area of 2 604,2 thousand hectares. Besides, there is a lot of mysterious caves, century trees, fancy rocks and gorges, glaciers, iridescent waterfalls and curative sources. To lay for judges a continuous route to these sights, only their inventory and classification in the tourist purposes, a natural and biological and tourist and economic assessment of the available potential is required.
At the initiative of the head of state the country committed itself to elimination of the shortcomings which are available in domestic tourism, measures for creation of economic and organizational and legal conditions for tourism development as strategic branch of economy, the maximum use of tourist capacity of regions, creation and advance to the world markets of a national tourist product, formation of positive image of Uzbekistan in the sphere of tourism are implemented.
Cardinally new approach is applied in a control system of branch. Activity of the State Committee on development of tourism recently created under the resolution of the President is not aimed at implementation of control and administrative functions, but to stimulation of entrepreneurial activity in the sphere of tourism, elimination of all obstacles and barriers to tourism development, and the development of competition on the market of tourist services.
Qualitatively new mechanisms of state regulation aimed at improvement of license, certifying and other allowing procedures in the sphere of tourism are created.
The Strategy of actions pays special attention to five priority directions of development of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2017 — 2021 in problems of branch development. Over all country their systematic implementation has started. The complex measures promoting the tourist capacity of the region are planned with regards for natural opportunities and the best international practice. In particular, more than 700 objects of cultural heritage, and the unique nature of the region are involved. Its richest flora and fauna, unique landscapes with steep slopes and tops, snow-covered mountains, rapid rivers and emerald valleys allow betting on extreme and ecological types of tourism. Over two hundred high-perspective projects within which creating a set of infrastructure facilities, including 40 modern hotels is planned should be implemented only in sphere of ecological tourism during the period from 2017 to 2021. Their construction in zones of an active flow of tourists — in Parkent, Bostanlyk, Zangiatf districts, the cities of Angren and Chirchiq will be essential in this regard. Only in Parkent next such objects — compact hotel for 80 places, a comfortable zone of family rest are prepared to commissioning. In total it is planned in area to master investments more than for 400 billion Soums (currency rates of CB RU from 12.05.2017, 1$= 3765.77 soums), create about two thousand jobs and increase the volume of tourist services by 2,5 times in five next years. At the level of the republic it is planned to develop the Concept of development of tourist industry of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the medium term, as well as the Program of specific measures for its realization in 2017 — 2021, new edition of the Law "About Tourism" should be prepared. It is planned to improve radically quality of services at the airports and railway stations, to create favorable conditions for business in the sphere of tourism, to attract the world-recognized brands, foreign investors in the tourism industry, to introduce new tourist routes, to develop modern types of tourism, to increase their attractiveness etc. All this together will become a strong basis for formation in the future of positive image of Uzbekistan as the large and attractive center of tourism, transformation of tourism into the leading sphere of national economy.
Realization of the tasks planned in the Strategy of actions on five priority directions of development of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2017 — 2021, undoubtedly will allow to provide intensive development of tourism as strategic sector of the national economy capable to make a worthy contribution to sustainable development, to become the locomotive for the accelerated complex development of all regions and the interfaced branches, and to promote in every possible way formation of positive image of Uzbekistan as the attractive center of tourism.
(Source: «Business partner.uz» newspaper)

TOURISM

Boysun Bahori to Welcome Guests Again
On May 13-14, the International Folklore Festival ‘Boysun Bahori’ (Boysun Spring) will be held in Surkhandarya region, which President Shavkat Mirziyoyev offered to revive during the November visit to the region.
The centuries-old way of life of tens of generations is almost completely preserved here. Each family carefully keeps and passes over from year to year the culture of housekeeping, ancient rites, traditions and customs, originating from the age of pre-Islamic pagan culture. Ritual songs and dances, oral creativity of narrators –akyns and keepers of legends live their unchanging life. It is here that a thousand years ago the akyns laid down the heroic epic ‘Alpomish.’
In 2001, Boysun district was included in the UNESCO List of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. In May of the next year, the first open folklore festival ‘Boysun Bahori’ was held with the participation of folk performers from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. However, over time, the tradition of organizing the festival annually was interrupted.
Attempts to revive it were made earlier, but last year they failed to be successful.
Due to the efforts of specialists this year, Boysun again welcomes the guests. For two days in a row, traditional music and songs will be performed here.
The festival will bring together participants from dozens of countries, scientists and folklore lovers who want to make a journey through time, to get acquainted with the life of an original land that preserves the memory of the culture and way of life of ancient peoples.
Undoubtedly, ‘Boysun Bahori’ will be included in the list of major cultural events in Uzbekistan along with the festivals ‘Sharq Taronalari’ in Samarqand, ‘Silk and Spices’ in Bukhara, ‘Atlas Bayrami’ in Marghilon, ‘Magic of Dance’ in Khorezm and others.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

Reference to the source is a must in reproducing materials