DKNY
03-01-2003, 06:40 AM
The EU Urges Uzbekistan To Hasten Reforms
http://www.tol.cz/
NEW YORK--European Union officials are urging Uzbek President Islam Karimov’s administration to hasten economic reforms and improve its human rights record in advance of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) annual meeting scheduled for May in Tashkent.
EU officials visited Uzbekistan for talks on 27 January under the auspices of the Cooperation Council, a body formed in 1999 to guide implementation of a reform agreement between Brussels and Tashkent. The perfunctory language of an EU statement on the meeting served as an indicator of Brussels’ frustration with the slow pace of change in Uzbekistan.
"It was agreed," the EU statement said, "that any possible development of closer relations between the EU and Uzbekistan would depend upon respect for shared values." It went on to note "the importance of full respect for human rights and the rule of law," while reiterating the EU’s "readiness to give practical support for implementation of judicial and legal reforms in Uzbekistan."
Following the meeting, Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov acknowledged to journalists that Tashkent’s practices fell short of international standards in some spheres. He went on to reiterate an invitation to the European Union Presidency to pay an official visit to the country in 2003.
Uzbekistan has long faced criticism about its rights record, including a crackdown on free speech and religious expression. Such criticism has tended to be more restrained since Uzbekistan became a U.S. ally in the campaign against terrorism.
Unlike Kazakhstan, whose president, Nursultan Nazarbaev, won praise from Italian leaders on 6 February for showing an interest in "deepening partnership with Europe," Uzbekistan has been more lukewarm toward Europe than it has been toward the United States. Tashkent signed a treaty with Washington in March 2002 that echoed some of the goals in the 1999 Cooperation Agreement. But some concerns identified at the 27 January meeting--including a need to improve legislation covering money laundering and corruption--may become increasingly problematic as the date of the EBRD’s Tashkent meeting approaches. The gathering is scheduled for 4-5 May.
"The EU noted that the EBRD meeting … would focus international attention on the country. The EU expressed the hope that, by the time of the meeting, Uzbekistan would demonstrate to the international community further political and economic changes," the EU statement said.
The EBRD has warned Uzbekistan that rampant corruption, the lack of a convertible currency, and a poor human rights record are combining to hurt foreign investment prospects. Citing a "restricting investment climate," a report on the bank’s website calls for support to entrepreneurs, banking reform, and infrastructure development. Like the EU, the EBRD expresses concern that "the future scope and pace of reforms remains unclear."
Karimov’s administration has pursued a zigzag reform path in recent months. A presidential decree introduced in mid-2002 sharply raised tariffs on most imports, resulting in economic chaos. Of late, however, Karimov has sought to stimulate trade, for example issuing a 5 February decree exempting wholesalers from paying value-added taxes. At the same time, Uzbek officials have been reluctant to implement promised reforms to promote a freely convertible currency.
In addition, privatization continues to be an issue. Uzbek authorities announced 5 February that over 1,900 formerly state-owned businesses, including farms, had been privatized in 2002. Still, more than two-thirds of the country’s farmland remains in government hands, suppressing potential private investment. EBRD officials will probably press for faster and more open privatization and currency reform before and during the May meeting.
EU officials, meanwhile, have promised to scrutinize the new legislation, as well as to review the performance of law enforcement agencies and the judicial system. Brussels is also pushing Tashkent to re-establish good working relations with the International Monetary Fund and other global financial institutions.
--by Alec Appelbaum
http://www.tol.cz/
NEW YORK--European Union officials are urging Uzbek President Islam Karimov’s administration to hasten economic reforms and improve its human rights record in advance of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) annual meeting scheduled for May in Tashkent.
EU officials visited Uzbekistan for talks on 27 January under the auspices of the Cooperation Council, a body formed in 1999 to guide implementation of a reform agreement between Brussels and Tashkent. The perfunctory language of an EU statement on the meeting served as an indicator of Brussels’ frustration with the slow pace of change in Uzbekistan.
"It was agreed," the EU statement said, "that any possible development of closer relations between the EU and Uzbekistan would depend upon respect for shared values." It went on to note "the importance of full respect for human rights and the rule of law," while reiterating the EU’s "readiness to give practical support for implementation of judicial and legal reforms in Uzbekistan."
Following the meeting, Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov acknowledged to journalists that Tashkent’s practices fell short of international standards in some spheres. He went on to reiterate an invitation to the European Union Presidency to pay an official visit to the country in 2003.
Uzbekistan has long faced criticism about its rights record, including a crackdown on free speech and religious expression. Such criticism has tended to be more restrained since Uzbekistan became a U.S. ally in the campaign against terrorism.
Unlike Kazakhstan, whose president, Nursultan Nazarbaev, won praise from Italian leaders on 6 February for showing an interest in "deepening partnership with Europe," Uzbekistan has been more lukewarm toward Europe than it has been toward the United States. Tashkent signed a treaty with Washington in March 2002 that echoed some of the goals in the 1999 Cooperation Agreement. But some concerns identified at the 27 January meeting--including a need to improve legislation covering money laundering and corruption--may become increasingly problematic as the date of the EBRD’s Tashkent meeting approaches. The gathering is scheduled for 4-5 May.
"The EU noted that the EBRD meeting … would focus international attention on the country. The EU expressed the hope that, by the time of the meeting, Uzbekistan would demonstrate to the international community further political and economic changes," the EU statement said.
The EBRD has warned Uzbekistan that rampant corruption, the lack of a convertible currency, and a poor human rights record are combining to hurt foreign investment prospects. Citing a "restricting investment climate," a report on the bank’s website calls for support to entrepreneurs, banking reform, and infrastructure development. Like the EU, the EBRD expresses concern that "the future scope and pace of reforms remains unclear."
Karimov’s administration has pursued a zigzag reform path in recent months. A presidential decree introduced in mid-2002 sharply raised tariffs on most imports, resulting in economic chaos. Of late, however, Karimov has sought to stimulate trade, for example issuing a 5 February decree exempting wholesalers from paying value-added taxes. At the same time, Uzbek officials have been reluctant to implement promised reforms to promote a freely convertible currency.
In addition, privatization continues to be an issue. Uzbek authorities announced 5 February that over 1,900 formerly state-owned businesses, including farms, had been privatized in 2002. Still, more than two-thirds of the country’s farmland remains in government hands, suppressing potential private investment. EBRD officials will probably press for faster and more open privatization and currency reform before and during the May meeting.
EU officials, meanwhile, have promised to scrutinize the new legislation, as well as to review the performance of law enforcement agencies and the judicial system. Brussels is also pushing Tashkent to re-establish good working relations with the International Monetary Fund and other global financial institutions.
--by Alec Appelbaum