cianoreNewsWire - News on Uzbekistan and beyond...

[cianore]

Here I will post news on Uzbekistan and beyond that does matter for Uzbekistan.. Please, open new thread for discussions if you think it's necassary to discuss any of the articles.

[cianore]

Uzbeks seek $3.5b UAE investment
Reuters
Published: April 14, 2008, 23:58


Tashkent: Uzbekistan hopes to attract $3.5 billion in investment from the UAE in sectors ranging from gas exploration to synthetic fuels production, according to a decree obtained by Reuters on Monday.

The decree comes on the heels of Uzbek President Islam Karimov's visit to the UAE in mid-March and lists 21 investment projects in the Central Asian nation that had been offered to Dubai companies as a result.

According to the document, signed by Karimov, International Petroleum Investment Co. has tentatively agreed to build a $1.1 billion synthetic fuels production facility at a gas processing plant in Uzbekistan.

The company would also conduct gas exploration worth $200 million in the gas-rich western part of Uzbekistan, it said.

Mubadala Development Company would invest in an ammonia production plant worth about $600 million on the basis of a big Uzbek fertiliser factory.

Other projects include construction of a business centre and other facilities in the capital Tashkent, as well as a cement plant, restoration of irrigation systems and others.

The total value of potential investments is more than $3.5 billion, the decree said.

source (http://www.gulfnews.com/business/Investment/10205699.html); also from TradingMarkets (http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1367743/)

[cianore]

Moody's publishes first reports on Uzbekistan's banking system
15/04/2008 12:28

The FINANCIAL -- Uzbekistan's nascent banking system benefits from the relative stability of the steadily improving regulatory environment and the system's growth potential, but is constrained by structural weaknesses, the state's dominance in the system's ownership, the volatility in the operating environment and banks' financial fundamentals and limited competitiveness, says Moody's Investors Service in its first 'Banking System Outlook' report for Uzbekistan, published today.

In addition to the Banking System Outlook, which focuses on performance measures and forward-looking rating drivers for the Uzbekistan banking system, Moody's has also published the first 'Banking System Profile' report for Uzbekistan. The Profile forms part of a new series of reports on banking systems throughout the world, which are designed to complement Moody's Banking System Outlook reports by serving as descriptive reference guides to key structural factors that are reflected in Moody's bank credit ratings.

In the context of an economy still dominated by state-controlled businesses, the penetration and the financial intermediation function of the Uzbek banking system are currently low. However, Moody's expects a number of measures to be adopted that should contribute to consumer market growth and help increase the level of savings and investments.

The regulatory environment of the Uzbek banking system has been developing in recent years and has yielded some positive results, but the framework is still immature and has to be developed and tested further. "In Moody's opinion, the Uzbek authorities may, under certain conditions, decide to provide systemic support to certain banks in distress, or to the whole banking system. This view takes into consideration regulatory practice within the Uzbek banking sector and its historical development," says Olga Ulyanova, a Moody's Assistant Vice President-Analyst and author of the reports.

The significant structural weaknesses of the banking system include the still stark divide between large, stronger institutions and small, weaker players as well as the high level of concentration, as a result of which Moody's expects to witness an increased pace in certain restructuring trends in the coming years, including the privatisation of large state-owned financial institutions, the acquisition of a number of local banks by foreign investors, as well as the consolidation of second-tier banks.

"Moody's views positively the strong potential for system growth going forward -- particularly as regards expansion of banking for small and medium businesses, as well as for the retail segment. Nonetheless, at present, banking competition and sector restructuring are constrained by considerable administrative and regulatory pressures, notwithstanding their key role in closely monitoring financial institutions' activities and preventing shortfalls and crises," Ms Ulyanova explains. "This is particularly relevant given that the corporate governance and risk management practices of Uzbek banks are still at an early stage of their development and the banks' financial undamentals are volatile, partly stemming from the macroeconomic environment, although a degree of stabilisation has been noted in recent years."

At present, Moody's rates two Uzbek banks: the National Bank for Foreign Economic Activity of the Republic of Uzbekistan (National Bank of Uzbekistan), which was assigned Ba3/NP/E+ ratings in December 2007, and Gallabank, rated B3/NP/E+ in April 2008. As Moody's coverage of Uzbek
banks expands, it will be updating the statistical information presented in its Banking System Outlook for Uzbekistan.

source (http://finchannel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10570&Itemid=8)

[cianore]

Uzbekistan and China team up for gas pipeline construction
Kazinform reported that Uzbekistan and China have established a joint venture to build a gas pipeline from the Central Asian state to its eastern neighbor.

A spokesman for Uzbekneftegaz said the joint venture, Asia Trans Gas, established by Uzbekneftegaz and China National Petroleum Corporation will be responsible for the design, construction and operation of the Uzbekistan-China gas pipeline.

The spokesman said the route of the pipeline, intended to pump gas from energy rich Uzbekistan to energy-hungry China, will be approved by April 20 while project funding will be determined by June 1st 2008.

He said the first leg of the pipeline is expected to be built by December 31st 2009 and put into operation in January 2010. The second stage is planned for completion by December 31st 2011.

Tenders for the delivery of equipment and contractual work for the pipeline construction are scheduled to be announced in April.

source (http://steelguru.com/news/index/2008/04/15/NDIxMDg%3D/Uzbekistan_and_China_team_up_for_gas_pipeline_cons truction.html)

[cianore]

Goa police issue look-out notice for Uzbekistan woman
Wednesday April 16 2008 00:00 IST
PTI

PANAJI: The Goa police have issued a look-out notice for an Uzbekistan woman who is suspected to be the kingpin in an international sex racket in the tourist state.

”We have issued a look-out notice for Gulnovra Jureau across the country so that she does not leave the country,” Inspector Sandesh Chodankar, who is investigating the case, told PTI.

The state crime branch sleuths had arrested four Uzbek women - Nigora Mahrapova (28), Rizavea Nargiza (23), Elvira Yusupova (33) and Rakhimova Nurkhon (35) - in connection with the sex racket.

Their interrogation brought to light the role of 40-year-old Jureau who was staying with her Indian partner at Porvorim locality dotting the city. Police have been on the look-out for her as her arrest is expected to through more light on the case.

Chodankar said that the lady has gone missing and all attempts were made to track her down. ”She cannot avoid the look out notice as it will prohibit her from leaving India,” a police official said.

The sex racket involving the Uzbek women was unearthed last week by police who trapped them by sending a decoy. The women had told the police about Jureau who was initially mistaken by police to be Russian.

”We did not even had her proper name but we worked on a few leads which gave all the details about her,” a senior police official said.

source (http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEP20080415084525&Page=P&Title=Nation&Topic=0)

[cianore]

Kazakhstan bans wheat exports until September
Reuters, Tuesday April 15 2008
By Raushan Nurshayeva
ASTANA, April 15 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan joined other Black Sea grain exporters in curbing shipments on Tuesday, suspending wheat exports until Sept. 1 to combat double-digit inflation in Central Asia's largest economy.
Analysts said they expected the ban, which excludes flour and will take effect 10 days from now, to cause a short-term spike in world wheat prices as supplies from Russia and Ukraine are already constrained by export limits or tariffs.
"The Kazakh ban, coupled with continuing disruptions to Argentine grain exports, will result in a short-lived rise in prices, but will not be able to reverse the downward trend," said Andrei Sizov, head of Moscow-based analyst group SovEcon.
Kazakhstan plans this season to become the world's fifth-largest wheat exporter, shipping half its record 2007 crop of 20.1 million tonnes. About 7 million tonnes have already been exported and traders, anticipating a ban, have loaded more.
"We're now trying to maximise our exports. From May 1, we'll have to wait and see," a grain trader in Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, said.
"We've signed contracts for May loading to Azerbaijan. If exports are officially forbidden, I think it will be a case of force majeure," the trader said.
Kazakhstan Grain Union President Nurlan Tleubayev said in an interview with Reuters last week that a ban on exports could theoretically cost exporters up to $800 million in losses. [ID:nL08337769]
INFLATION FIGHT
Rising grain prices have contributed to a rise in Kazakh inflation, which hit 18.8 percent last year after staying within single digits for the preceding several years.
The Kazakh government on Tuesday issued a statement saying: "A decision has been made to ban exports of wheat without restricting flour exports for a period until Sept. 1, 2008."
The measure, it said, was designed to secure domestic food supply after a sharp rise in global grain prices. Facing the same economic strains, Russia has introduced prohibitive export tariffs and Ukraine has imposed strict export limits.
"It's unclear whether the Kazakh government has introduced a full export ban or a decision that allows export under previously signed contracts," said Serhiy Feofilov, director of Kiev-based consultancy UkrAgroConsult.
"In the first case, the increase in world prices could be significant. In the second, it would be moderate," he said.
"This decision will clearly cause a jump in world wheat prices and Ukraine could benefit if the government implements its promises to cancel export restrictions."
FLOUR SHIPMENTS
The Kazakh government, which has just appointed a new agriculture minister, said the country's grain stocks totalled 8.1 million tonnes as of April 10, of which food-quality grain made up only 4.7 million tonnes.
"Calculations show that, after a deduction for domestic consumption, the export potential today is about 1.2 million tonnes, which could be shipped out of the country within a month," the government said.
Flour millers and traders, however, will not be subject to the ban. One source told Reuters the government decision was a response to wheat exports exceeding their recommended level while flour exports failed to meet their target.
"This will increase competition for Russian flour exporters in Central Asia, chiefly in Uzbekistan," Sizov said.
"Kazakhs, unable to export grain, will raise flour exports, which will be cheaper than Russian exports from Siberia."
Kazakhstan is already the world's largest flour exporter.
source (http://www.guardian.co.uk/feedarticle?id=7463563)

[cianore]

Crude oil at new high just above $114; gas also at a record
Tuesday April 15, 5:28 pm ET
By Adam Schreck, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Energy traders rewrote the record books again Tuesday, pushing oil futures past $114 a barrel as gasoline and diesel prices struck new highs of their own at the pump.
Light, sweet crude for May delivery jumped as high as $114.08 a barrel shortly after regular trading ended on the New York Mercantile Exchange. That is nearly $2 above an intraday high set last week.

Concerns about insufficient global supply, stoked by a high-profile report by the International Energy Agency that said Russian oil production dropped this year for the first time in a decade, was largely responsible for the surge. Oil prices rose as high as $113.99 a barrel during the regular session before settling at $113.79, up $2.03 from Monday's record close of $111.76 a barrel.

"In an emotionally driven market like we've got now, it just doesn't take much in the way of a headline to prompt a psychological response," said Jim Ritterbusch, president of Ritterbusch & Associates in Galena, Ill.

Prices at the pump also charged ahead. Retail gasoline prices rose to a new average national record of $3.386, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Prices were highest in California, where mid-range and higher grades are now averaging more than $4 a gallon.

Diesel prices at the pump jumped to $4.119 a gallon, also a record, setting the stage for even higher prices on food and other goods transported by truck, ship and rail.

Prices are widely expected to keep rising as summer approaches. Gasoline futures jumped by nearly 6 cents to finish at a settlement record of $2.881. That is less than a nickel below the all-time intraday high for the benchmark contract that was set as Hurricane Katrina made landfall in 2005.

"Unfortunately, we do expect the price of gasoline, and probably diesel as well, are going to escalate as long as the price of oil keeps moving higher," said Geoff Sundstrom, a fuel price analyst for AAA.

Oil's recent run above $100 a barrel has been largely attributed to a steadily depreciating dollar, because the weakness prompts investors to seek a safe haven in hard commodities such as oil and gold. The greenback strengthened marginally against the euro Tuesday afternoon, but still remains near all-time lows against the 15-nation currency.

The oil report from the IEA -- the Paris-based energy watchdog for industrialized countries -- said Russia, the world's biggest oil exporter after Saudi Arabia, averaged 10 million barrels per day from January through March, down 1 percent from 2007. That is the first time production has failed to exceed previous-year figures since 1998.

Artyom Konchin, an analyst with Russian investment bank Aton Capital, attributed Russia's oil supply lull to high taxes and insufficient reinvestment into infrastructure.

"It's not that we don't have enough oil," he said. "We just don't have enough capital going into developing the fields."

Crude prices were also supported by reports of a number of supply disruptions.

Attracting the most attention was the closure of Mexico's three main oil-exporting ports on the Gulf Coast because of bad weather starting Sunday. Only one of the ports remained closed Tuesday, according to Mexico's Communications and Transportation Department.

The department issued a bulletin Tuesday morning that the Pacific oil port of Salina Cruz also had been closed because of strong wind and high waves, although that terminal is not a major supplier for the U.S.

"It just shows you how fragile the oil markets are," Sundstrom said.

In other Nymex trading, heating oil futures surged by 7.1 cents to settle at $3.2739 gallon, while natural gas futures spiked 15.2 cents to settle at $10.212 per 1,000 cubic feet (roughly equals to $360.63 per 1,000 cubic meters - cianoreNewsWire).

In London, May Brent crude rose $1.47 to settle at $111.31 on the ICE Futures exchange.

source (http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080415/oil_prices.html)

[cianore]

Associations of Banks of Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan sign co-operation agreements

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. On April 22, the Association of Banks of Azerbaijan (ABA) delegation is to leave for Almati, Kazakhstan, to participate in a session of the Coordinating Council of the CIS & Eastern Europe Bank Associations.

ABA president Eldar Imaylov said that the session would be held on April 24-25.

”Besides participation in the session, we expect to sign partnership agreements with bank associations of Central Asia. We have negotiated with our counterparts from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. We hope to sign bilateral agreements with them and their drafts have been discussed,” the ABA president said.

Singing of these agreements was scheduled initially for 2007.

[cianore]

Double joy for Uzbekistan
(FIFA.com) Thursday 17 April 2008

Uzbekistan had two reasons for celebration in March. Not only did the Central Asians beat Saudi Arabia 3-0 in their second outing of the continent's third stage of qualifying to the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, but they also climbed ten places to 60th on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. Moreover, they leapfrogged Iraq into sixth place in Asia's pecking order on the global ladder in the process, edging ever closer to the 'big five' of Japan, Australia, Korea Republic, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

With the impressive victory coming after a 1-0 reverse of Lebanon in their third round opener, the former Soviet republic cemented their presence atop of Group 4, which also includes Singapore. Alisher Nikimbaev, head of Uzbekistan's national team administration, was pleased by the side's start, but stressed the need to remain focused.


Only the top two group finishers will advance to Asia's top ten in the next phase, so we can take nothing for granted with four games remaining
Alisher Nikimbaev, head of Uzbekistan's national team administration, warns the team against complacency

" Only the top two group finishers will advance to Asia's top ten in the next phase, so we can take nothing for granted with four games remaining," he told FIFA.com. "However, the results in the opening two games showed that under coach Rauf Inileyev, our team are progressing in the right direction."

Familiar face
Uzbekistan had spent three years under the guidance of a trio of foreign coaches, namely German Jurgen Gede, Bob Houghton of England and Russia's Valeri Nepomniatchi, before turning their attention to the native Rauf Inileyev, a tactician of considerable experience with the country's youth teams at the end of 2006.

"Inileyev may not be a big name but he is the first coach in our country who spent much of his coaching career with the youth teams at almost all levels, from U-16 to U-23, before he took over the national senior side," Nikimbaev said.

In his first tournament in charge, Inileyev proved himself by guiding Uzbekistan to the quarter-finals of the AFC Asian Cup 2007, where they were only edged 2-1 by Saudi Arabia. "We were the better team as we produced more chances against Saudi Arabia, but our rivals converted two of their few chances to seal an unlikely win," Nikimbaev recalled.

The recent qualifier against Saudi Arabia provided coach Inileyev and his charges with a shot at revenge, and despite missing two first-choice midfielders through injury, Uzbekistan ran out winners. "We had both Vitaliy Denisov and Marat Bimaev injured in the friendly against Jordan in the build-up to the Saudi Arabia game," Nikimbaev explained. "The loss of the two key players forced us to change our 4-4-2 formation as a result."

Instead of employing a defensive approach, Inileyev surprised both his fans and rivals alike by fielding a three-pronged attack, with the midfield duo of Timur Kapadze and Victor Karpenko pushing forward in support. His tactical change paid off as Karpenko put Uzbekistan ahead one minute after the restart, before Maksim Shatskikh and Server Djeparov each scored in the space of two minutes to seal a famous win.

Inileyev was naturally a happy man. "We used two midfielders as forwards and some may not like the way we played," he said. "But the approach worked well and we are satisfied with the outcome."

Last chance for Shatskikh
Since winning gold at their debut continental adventure at the Asian Games 1994 in Hiroshima, Uzbekistan have failed to make a major impact at international level. After spending the subsequent years in footballing wilderness, however, the Uzbekistanis are on the verge of reviving the country's fortunes with a team more than capable of realising their ambitions.


The team are in the best period as the majority of the players are 26 to 27, the best ages for a football player
Nikimbaev explains his confidence in Uzbekistan's chances of reaching South Africa 2010

" The team are in the best period as the majority of the players are 26 to 27, the best ages for a football player," said Nikimbaev. "Most of the team have played together over the past three or four years and the team spirit has reached its highest point."

Much pressure rests on the broad shoulders of Dynamo Kiev marksman Shatskikh, who the Uzbekistanis hope can steer them to maiden appearance at the FIFA World Cup finals. "Maksim turns 30 this August and the South Africa 2010 would probably be his last chance to play in a World Cup. I do hope he will make it this time while our team go through Asia's tough qualifying competition," Nikimbaev concluded.

source (http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/ranking/news/newsid=742417.html)

PS: You can find quiet interesting comments if you go to the source

[cianore]

Indians qualify for World Group final

NEW DELHI: The Indian boys got past Uzbekistan 2-1 to qualify for the World Group final in the Asia-Oceania World Junior under-14 tennis championship at Shenzen, China, on Thursday.

India will meet host China in the semifinals of the regional competition.

The results: India beat Uzbekistan 2-1 (Digvijay Singh Mehta bt Temur Ismailov 6-2, 6-1; Ronit Bisht bt Abduvoris Sadmukhamedov 6-2, 6-1; Digvijay and Ronit lost to Sadmukhamedov and Ismailov 6-7(5), 2-6).

source (http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/18/stories/2008041855411700.htm)

[cianore]

Afghanistan moves to center stage
By M K Bhadrakumar

Three or four seemingly unconnected statements within the space of the past week, and the "war on terror" in Afghanistan acquires new shades of meaning. On Wednesday, Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said during a visit to the holy city of Qom that the United States invaded Afghanistan and Iraq "under the pretext of the September 11 terror attack".

A day earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, who was on a visit to London, publicly expressed skepticism over the conduct of the Afghan war by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). He warned that NATO is "courting disaster". On Monday, addressing a student gathering in Beijing's Tsinghua University, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf urged Chinese and Russian help in stabilizing Afghanistan. But in the ultimate analysis, it is
the sensational revelation by erstwhile Northern Alliance leaders about their ongoing contacts with the Taliban that makes nonsense of the battle lines of the Afghan war.

The United States' monopoly of the Afghan war is beginning to come under serious public challenge. The "lameduck" George W Bush administration in Washington faces an uphill task to gain mastery over the equations developing on multiple levels.

Meanwhile, some questions arise. Are these statements and public stances essentially more prudent and prophylactic than provocative? Do they stem from a genuine concern in the region that the US is simply unable to forge ahead in the war? Or do they signify the stirrings of a concerted regional challenge to the US mission?

Ahmadinejad's statement is the first time that Tehran has questioned frontally at the highest level of leadership the raison d'etre of the US intervention in Afghanistan. He suggests that terrorism is the pretext rather than the reason for the US intervention. The Iranian leader alleges that the US intervention was more geopolitical. Considering that Iran (under former president Mohammed Khatami) had provided logistical support for the US intervention in Afghanistan in 2001, Wednesday's statement signifies an important rethink in Tehran. Ahmadinejad has implicitly absolved the Taliban regime of any role as such in the September 11 attacks on Washington and New York.

Compared with the nuanced Iranian statement, Babacan has taken a stance from the perspective of Turkey being a major NATO power. Babacan said in an interview with the London-based Telegraph newspaper that NATO is courting disaster by relying too much on force to defeat the Taliban. He distanced Ankara from the US counterinsurgency strategy by stressing that the shift to a "more militaristic approach would backfire and ultimately undermine the Afghan government".

Babacan forcefully rejected the US criticism that Turkey has refused to deploy troops in the troubled southern and eastern regions of Afghanistan. He insisted on the continued logic of Turkey's Afghan policy, which focuses on reconstruction activities aimed at "winning their [Afghans'] hearts and minds". Significantly, he warned that Afghans could "start to perceive the [NATO] security forces as occupiers" and that the situation would become "very complicated". But he, too, avoided any criticism of the Taliban as such.

Interestingly, Babacan made these remarks in an interview in which he underlined Turkey's growing alienation from Europe. Also, on Monday, another round of Turkish-Iranian consultations were held in Ankara regarding bilateral cooperation in regional security, which is already quite substantial.

Musharraf has gone a step even further. He expressed the hope that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) could play a role in stabilizing Afghanistan. He added, "If the SCO can come along, then we would need to ensure that there is no confrontation with NATO." SCO comprises China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as full members and Iran and Pakistan as "observers".

Musharraf is famous for making impromptu remarks, but the fact that he made such a statement in Beijing merits attention. Pakistan has been seeking full SCO membership. The indications are that Beijing is, in principle, supportive of the Pakistani claim. Reports had also just appeared that Washington is pressing for an intrusive role to monitor the safety of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal.

Musharraf has virtually endorsed a call by Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov at the recent NATO summit meeting in Bucharest (April 2-4) to the effect that the "Six plus Two" format of the 1997-2001 period (with the "six" being the countries bordering Afghanistan and the "two" being Russia and the US), which aimed at bringing about intra-Afghan reconciliation between the Taliban and its opponents, be expanded into a new "Six plus Three" format that would now include NATO, along with China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Pakistan, Russia and the US.
Moscow and Tashkent have a coordinated approach in this regard. Washington finds itself in a quandary to respond to the Uzbek offer of cooperation with NATO, which would mean virtual abandonment of alliance's plans to expand into the former Soviet republics of Ukraine and Georgia.
However, in a hard-hitting speech on Monday at Maxwell-Gunter air force base in Montgomery, Alabama, which was devoted entirely to the US strategy in Afghanistan, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice precisely invoked the great Cold War icons - George Marshall, Harry S Truman, George Frost Kennan and Dean Acheson. She sent a stunning message to Moscow that NATO's victory in Afghanistan is "not only essential, it is attainable".
Rice pointed out, "Successes in Afghanistan will advance our broader regional interests in combating violent terrorism, resisting the destabilizing behavior of Iran, and anchoring political and economic liberty in South and Central Asia. And success in Afghanistan is an important test for the credibility of NATO."
Rice coolly ignored the Russian-Uzbek offer of cooperation. Against the above background, this week's statement in Kabul by the top leadership of the erstwhile Northern Alliance (NA) merits close attention.
The NA leaders enjoy the support of Russia, the Central Asian states and Iran - and Turkey to an extent. Sayyed Agha Hussein Fazel Sancharaki, spokesman of these groups which now come under the umbrella of the United National Front (UNF), revealed to the Associated Press (AP) that former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani and the top NA commander from Panjshir, Mohammed Qasim Fahim (who also holds the position currently as a security advisor to President Hamid Karzai) have been meeting Taliban and other opposition groups (presumably, the Hezb-i-Islami led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar) during recent months for national reconciliation. He claimed these meetings have involved "important people" from the Taliban.
Indeed, Fahim (who was the chief of intelligence under the late Ahmad Shah Massoud) and Rabbani (who belonged to the original "Peshawar Seven" - mujahideen leaders based in Pakistan in the 1980s) would have old links with Hekmatyar and top Taliban leaders like Jalaluddin Haqqani. Rabbani told AP that the six-year war must be resolved through talks.
"We in the National Front and I myself believe the solution for the political process in Afghanistan will happen through negotiations," he said. Rabbani added that the opposition leaders would soon discuss and possibly select a formal negotiating team for holding talks with the Taliban. He found fault with Karzai for not pursuing dialogue with the Taliban. "I told Karzai that when a person starts something, he should complete it. On the issue of negotiations, it is not right to take one step forward and then one step back. This work should be continued in a very organized way."
It stands to reason that regional powers - especially Russia, Uzbekistan and Iran - will be watching closely the intra-Afghan dialogue involving the UNF and the Taliban. What gives impetus to this dialogue is apparently that the NATO summit in Bucharest came up with only small troop increments, which puts question marks on the viability and prospects of the NATO operations. But is that all?
These various strands can be expected to run concurrently for a while until some begin to outstrip others. It seems the geopolitics of energy are already taking an early lead. Musharraf last Friday aired with Chinese President Hu Jintao the topic of a gas pipeline connecting Iran and China via Pakistani territory; Iran is pressing for SCO membership; a gas cartel is about to take shape at the seventh ministerial meeting of the gas-exporting countries scheduled to be held in Moscow in June.
China's National Offshore Oil Corporation has confirmed that talks are indeed progressing on a US$16 billion gas deal involving Iran's North Pars gas field, close on the heels of the $2 billion agreement signed in March between the China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation and Iran for developing the latter's Yadavaran oil field.
A prominent expert, Igor Tomberg of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations at the Russian Academy of Sciences, wrote recently, "Iran and Russia should probably not compete against each other but rather join hands on the gas market. The Iranian president has more than once suggested to his Russian colleague that their countries coordinate their gas policies and possibly divide gas markets. Moreover, there could be an agreement under which Russia will continue to supply gas to Europe, while Iran will export its gas to the East. This would undermine plans to diversify supply to Europe, which heavily depends on the United States."
Afghanistan is a key hub of resource-rich Central Asia and the Middle East. To use the words from Rice's Montgomery speech, "Let no one forget, Afghanistan is a mission of necessity for the US, not a mission of choice."

[cianore]

Uzpromstroybank assigned 'B-' long-term IDR with stable oulook - Fitch
04.18.08, 8:51 AM ET

MUMBAI (Thomson Financial) - Fitch Ratings said it assigned Uzbekistan-based Uzpromstroybank (UPSB) its 'B-' long-term issuer default rating (IDR) with a stable outlook, and 'B' short-term IDR.

UPSB's ratings are underpinned by potential support from the Uzbek authorities, Fitch said.

Fitch said given the bank's important role in servicing state-owned companies, its significant domestic franchise and the close links with government, there would likely be a quite high propensity of the authorities to support UPSB, in case of need.

However, in light of the Uzbek sovereign's own credit profile, this support cannot be relied upon, Fitch said.

Improvement or deterioration in Uzbekistan's sovereign risk profile may generate upward or downward pressure, respectively, on UPSB's ratings, Fitch added.

source (http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2008/04/18/afx4906398.html)

[Black]

Cianore bizlar ham news post qilsak bo'ladimi threadingizda?

В Латвии 30 рабочим из Узбекистана разрешили работать на кондитерской фабрике (http://press-uz.info/index.php?title=home&nid=489&my=042008&st=0)

18.04.2008/18:07
ИА «Press-uz.info» - Прейльский филиал Государственного агентства занятости вчера, 17 апреля, разрешил ливанской кондитерской фабрике Adugs принять на работу 30 рабочих из Узбекистана, сообщает biznews.lv.
Как отмечает портал Diena.lv, это первый подобный случай для Прейльского и Ливанского районов Латвии. Выданные гражданам Узбекистана разрешения позволяют им трудится на Adugs с 14 мая 2008 года по 13 мая 2009 года. Для рабочих из Узбекистана Adugs уже приобрела 10 квартир, так что без жилья наши граждане не останутся.
Руководитель Adugs Язепс Зукулс объясняет потребность в рабочих следующим образом:
летом предприятие намеревается расширить производство, для этого необходимо принять на работу 50—60 человек.
«Вы спрашиваете, как это в Латгалии может не хватать работников?. Я отвечу – может. Большинство ливанцев в поисках хорошо оплачиваемой работы покинули город и не собираются возвращаться. Рабочая сила в Ливанах есть, вопрос в том, какая? Мы – предприятие пищевой промышленности и не можем позволить безалаберного отношения со стороны работников, потому что тогда мы рискуем попасть под многочисленные проверки и штрафы», - объясняет директор фабрики.
О недостатке рабочих рук в городе свидетельствует тот факт, что сейчас на Adugs работают жители Даугавпилса, для них даже организован спецавтобус, доставляющий их на предприятие. Всего на Adugs работает более 200 человек, отмечает латвийское издание.

[cianore]

Finance Minister of Hungary on a visit in Uzbekistan
TASHKENT, Apr 18, 2008 (Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX) -- -- Minister of Finance of Hungary JГЎnos Veres is visiting Uzbekistan. On 17 April, he held talks in a number of ministries and departments of the republic, UzA reported.

At the negotiations with the chairman of the Commerce and Industry Chamber of Uzbekistan Alisher Shaikhov, the sides considered expansion of partnership relations between the business and financial circles of the two countries.

In 2007 mutual trade between Uzbekistan and Hungary made up US$32.4 million. A number of Uzbek-Hungarian joint ventures operate in Uzbekistan, and several of the Hungarian companies have their offices in the country.

In the framework of the Hungarian minister's visit to Tashkent, an Uzbek-Hungarian business forum and a cooperation exchange were held in the capital.

"We signed an agreement on avoiding double taxation with Uzbekistan," JГЎnos Veres told journalists. "Uzbekistan and Hungary have huge opportunities for development of cooperation in many fields, including pharmaceutics, processing agricultural products, chemical industry and construction."

"We considered concrete projects. I believe our economic cooperation will develop further," the minister added.

source (http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1397097/)

[cianore]

President of Uzbekistan will pay visit to Astana
Saturday, Apr 19, 2008

Uzbek President's Press Service reports that the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov pays official visit to Astana on a invitation of the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. The report has an official character and only highlights few remarks of bilateral cooperation. No official information was given on exact agenda of the Presidential visit.

source - cianoreNewsWire

[cianore]

Australian press eyes close attention to Uzbek Oliy Liga.

San Francisco, CA - Obviosly, soccer is playing more and more crucial role in Aussie lifestyle. It's not only because of Australian A-League, but "success-fed" Australian national squad's performance in Asia as well as Asian Chempions League matches.

Australian press finds interesting to highlight Uzbek Oliy Liga matches as well. And more and more aussies believe Uzbek League might be the only well organized and competitive in Asian continent. Numerous Australian sports channels notes as "must-be" to broadcast Uzbek clubs' continental matches.

[Einstein]

Double joy for Uzbekistan
(FIFA.com) Thursday 17 April 2008
The recent qualifier against Saudi Arabia provided coach Inileyev and his charges with a shot at revenge, and despite missing two first-choice midfielders through injury, Uzbekistan ran out winners. "We had both Vitaliy Denisov and Marat Bimaev injured in the friendly against Jordan in the build-up to the Saudi Arabia game," Nikimbaev explained. "The loss of the two key players forced us to change our 4-4-2 formation as a result."

PS: You can find quiet interesting comments if you go to the source

How they can be injured in the friendly against Jordan, if none of them played in that match?:?

[cianore]

Turkmen, Uzbek States Seen as Weak

18-Apr-08

Two Central Asian countries are listed among the world’s weakest states despite their natural gas wealth, in a new study by a United States think-tank. Regional analysts say the low scores given to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan stem from their authoritarian systems and poor governance.
In early April, the Washington-based Brookings Institution based in USA published its Index of State Weakness in the Developing World, which placed Turkmenistan 35th and Uzbekistan and 36th from the top on a list of 141 developing nations. The list was headed by the worst cases — Somalia first and Afghanistan second.

The other Central Asian states performed better – Tajikistan in 42nd place, Kyrgyzstan 73rd and Kazakstan 89th.

The index is compiled from a rating of social and economic data, the political climate, and the effectiveness, transparency and accountability of state governance.

Central Asian commentators interviewed by NBCentralAsia agreed with the Brookings Institution’s assessment, noting the low standard of living in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, the lack of political freedoms and the high level of official corruption.

Despite this, commentators note that Turkmen and Uzbek leaders have built up such rigid hierarchical systems that the perception – among their own citizens at least – is of strong and stable states.

“[Uzbek president Islam] Karimov’s authoritarian grip on power is among the most stable in the former Soviet Union,” said a media-watcher in Uzbekistan. “Despite having a weak market economy unattuned to the market, and periodical outbursts of public discontent, the regime displays political stability. One example of this is the president’s re-election [in December] after 17 years in power.”

One characteristic of the way the Turkmen and Uzbek states are run is the constant rotation and dismissal of top officials.

In the last three-and-a-half months, for instance, President Karimov has replaced the governors of four regions – Fergana, Khorezm, Surkhandarya and Samarkand. When such officials are sacked, they face accusations of inadequate performance, failure to deliver social programmes, misfired reforms, and corruption.

The same thing happens to regional chiefs and the officials in charge of various economic sectors in Turkmenistan. Each new appointee is given a probationary period of six months, but will often leave even earlier than that when President Gurbanguly Berdynmuhammedov identifies some shortcoming in his or her work.

As one commentator in the Turkmen capital Ashgabat explained, “Public castigation demonstrates to the public that the head of state is concerned about justice and rule of law. Yet it does not result in governance reforms, nor does it change a system in which the executive is unaccountable to parliament.”

Public resentment at economic hardship and unemployment is covered up at least in part by much-advertised populist programmes such as help for the poor and increases in pensions and benefits.

“The export revenues from hydrocarbons, gold mining and cotton are controlled by the [Uzbek and Turkmen] presidents themselves,” said a commentator in Tashkent. “This income sates the appetites of the elite and provides national budgets with the funds to support the huge repressive mechanisms needed to maintain a strong hold on power.”

Analysts say systemic reforms are the only way of changing the way things are in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Such reforms are unlikely to happen, they say, because the political will that would be needed is not there.

Meanwhile, NBCentralAsia experts are pessimistic that either government will pay much heed to criticism from abroad, even when it comes from are influential institutions.

As one observer said, “The so-called multi-vector foreign policy which entails constant manoeuvring between the regional geopolitical interests of Russia, the West, China and increasingly also Arab countries, helps these regimes feel sure of themselves and avoid threats of various kinds.”

source (http://www.iwpr.net/?p=bca&s=b&o=344193&apc_state=henh)

[cianore]

Foreign investments in Uzbek economy to increase 40%

TASHKENT, Apr 15, 2008 (Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX) -- -- Foreign investments in the economy of Uzbekistan are expected to comprise US$5.4 billion this year (40% increase year-on-year), including US$1.5 billion of foreign direct investments.

More than 80 investment projects should be implemented and over 30 objects worth a total of US$1.4 billion launched by the year end using the foreign investments, UzA reported.

Last year, investments in the Uzbek economy increased by 23% to US$4.3 billion. More than 70% of those investments were used for construction of industrial objects, including almost 50% for modernization of enterprises.

Over 300 large investment projects were completed last year, and more than 700 new enterprises were created with participation of foreign investors.

source (http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1373483/)

[cianore]

Uzbekneftgas in gas pipeline project with China's CNPC - official
04.14.08, 12:16 PM ET

TASHKENT (Thomson Financial) - Uzbek energy firm Uzbekneftgas has formed a joint venture with China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) to build a pipeline that would bring gas from Turkmenistan to China, an official with Uzbekneftgas told Agence France-Presse on Monday.

The official, who requested anonymity, said President Islam Karimov had signed a decree last week outlining the tasks of the joint venture, in which Beijing and Tashkent will have equal stakes.

The plans by energy-hungry China and the Central Asian states would break Russia's virtual monopoly on transit of Turkmen gas.

CNPC secured a 30 year gas-import deal with Turkmenistan last July.

The Uzbek-Chinese venture venture, named Asia Trans Gas, would build the 530 kilometre (330 mile) pipeline section from the Turkmen border across Uzbek territory to the Kazakh border, from where it would go on to western China, official press reports have said.

A first pipeline, including one compressor station, is to be built by the end of 2009 and a second by the end of 2011.

Uzbekistan signed an agreement last year with China on building a pipeline with a capacity of 30 billion cubic metres for shipping Turkmen gas.

Uzbekistan's reclusive neighbour Turkmenistan has gas reserves estimated to be about the 10th largest in the world but almost all its export pipelines pass across Russian territory, limiting the Turkmen leadership's room for manoeuvre.

However China is showing an increasing appetite for Central Asian energy resources.

European Union officials were also in Turkmenistan last week and secured agreement that the country should start furnishing supplies to the EU, European officials said.

source (http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2008/04/14/afx4886412.html)

[Abdug'ofur]

Foreign investments in Uzbek economy to increase 40%

TASHKENT, Apr 15, 2008 (Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX) -- -- Foreign investments in the economy of Uzbekistan are expected to comprise US$5.4 billion this year (40% increase year-on-year), including US$1.5 billion of foreign direct investments.

More than 80 investment projects should be implemented and over 30 objects worth a total of US$1.4 billion launched by the year end using the foreign investments, UzA reported.

Last year, investments in the Uzbek economy increased by 23% to US$4.3 billion. More than 70% of those investments were used for construction of industrial objects, including almost 50% for modernization of enterprises.

Over 300 large investment projects were completed last year, and more than 700 new enterprises were created with participation of foreign investors.

source (http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1373483/)

How is it happening? What is attracting foreign investors? Does it mean that economic climate is getting better in Uzbekistan?

[cianore]

Korea to expand countries eligible for multiple visas
Date: April 20, 2008

Korea will expand the number of countries whose citizens are eligible for multiple visas to promote tourism and help secure overseas bases for natural resources, the Justice Ministry said Sunday (Apr. 20).

Under the new visa rule, the number of countries whose citizens are eligible for multiple visas was increased from three to 26 beginning Monday, the ministry said.

Currently, only a limited number of citizens of China, Russia and India can receive multiple visas.

dded to the list were 10 Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Pakistan, Cambodia and Sri Lanka and 13 energy-rich nations such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Ecuador and Nigeria, the ministry said.

[cianore]

UZBEK-BRITISH TEXTILES JV SET UP IN UZBEKISTAN

TASHKENT, Apr 21, 2008 (AsiaPulse via COMTEX) -- The Uzbek-British JV TAGUS Textile, valued at US$9.74 million, was set up in the Andijan region.

The SSC Ozbekyengilsanoat (Uzbek light industry) says that the joint ventures founder is the British TAGUS Management Services Ltd.

According to the terms of the joint venture, the British company intends to invest, within five years, US$30.5 million to develop TAGUS Textile.

It will produce cotton card yarn with a capacity of 3,000 tons and 1,000 tons of rough knitted fabric a year.

The JV's Izboskan Shoyi Tukish silk factory was launched in 1982 as the largest silk factory in the region.

In early 2006, the government of Uzbekistan planned to sell shareholdings in nearly 220 bankrupt textile enterprises in order to modernize and re-equip them within the financial recovery of the country's textile industry.

Within 2006 and 2007, a number of foreign investors bought up Uzbek textile enterprise assets worth around US$290 million.

source - TradingMarkets

[cianore]

LUKOIL to invest $5.5 bln in Uzbekistan gas fields
Thu Apr 24, 2008 6:10pm BST

TASHKENT, April 24 (Reuters) - Russian oil major LUKOIL (LKOH.MM: Quote, Profile, Research) plans to invest $5.5 billion in gas exploration in Uzbekistan where it plans to produce 16 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas per year by 2015, LUKOIL said on Thursday.

LUKOIL's President Vagit Alekperov said the company, in which U.S. ConocoPhillips (COP.N: Quote, Profile, Research) holds a 20 percent stake, plans to increase its gas reserves in the Central Asian country.

"We hope the forecast reserves for our geological blocks, which are now estimated at 600 bcm, will be confirmed, and the company will be able to increase them. That is why we hope to raise output in the future," Alekperov told a news briefing.

LUKOIL Overseas, an international arm of Russia's No. 2 oil producer, started production at the $2 billion Khauzak gas project in the former Soviet country in November.

The production sharing project, developed jointly by LUKOIL, with a 90 percent stake, and Uzbek state energy company UzbekNefteGaz, is expected to produce 12 bcm of gas by 2012, a company spokesman said on Thursday.

Last month, LUKOIL completed the $758 million acquisition of SNG Holdings Ltd, a group with the rights to South-Western Gissar and Ustyurt oil fields in Uzbekistan, where it plans to produce 4 bcm of gas by 2012, said the spokesman.

LUKOIL is also part of a consortium developing an Aral Sea production sharing project in Uzbekistan. Other project parters include Malaysia's Petronas [PETR.UL], China's CNPC (0857.HK: Quote, Profile, Research) (PTR.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Korea National Oil Corporation.

Uzbekistan and neighbouring Turkmenistan are are Central Asia's main natural gas producers. In 2006, Uzbekistan produced 62 bcm of gas and exported 12.6 bcm.

Russia is the main export destination for Uzbekistan, whose pipelines are controlled by Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom (GAZP.MM: Quote, Profile, Research). But Uzbekistan is studying new export routes and earlier this year agreed to build a new pipeline to China. No time frame for the project has been set. (Reporting by Shamil Baigin and Ekaterina Golubkova, writing by Tanya Mosolova)

source - Thomson Reuters

[cianore]

"Multisoft Solutions" собирается запустить в Узбекистане систему интернет-платежей
"Multisoft Solutions", отечественный разработчик передовых программных решений в сфере информационно-коммуникационных, мобильных и Интернет технологий в скором времени планирует запустить систему электронной коммерции на территории Республики Узбекистан.

Как сообщается в пресс-релизе компании, система интернет-платежей "eKarmon" разработана в соответствии с Законом Республики Узбекистан "Об электронных платежах" и постановлением Кабинета Министров № 120 "О мерах по дальнейшему совершенствованию проведения платежей при осуществлении электронной коммерции". Система предложена правительству республики как пилотный проект электронной коммерции в соответствии с ПКМ № 120.

Система "eKarmon" предоставляет возможность населению посредством сети Интернет приобрести товар либо услугу, включая оплату за услуги сотовых операторов, интернет провайдеров, международной и городской телефонии, а также коммунальных служб.

Данная система привязана к национальной валюте узбекский сум и действует исключительно на территории Республики Узбекистан.

Надежность системы обеспечивается посредством использования ее пользователями собственных уникальных электронных цифровых подписей (ЭЦП), соответствующих законодательству; это предотвращает возможность несанкционированного доступа в систему со стороны третьих лиц.

source - пресс-служба "Multisoft Solutions" via bankir.uz

[cianore]

Turkish State Minister Meets Businessmen In Uzbekistan
Published: 4/26/2008

TASHKENT - Turkish State Minister Said Yazicioglu met Turkish businessmen at Uzbekistan-Turkey Businessmen Association (UTID) in Tashkent on Monday.
During the meeting, UTID chairman Oguz Cetin briefed the minister about activities of Turkish businessmen in Uzbekistan.

Minister Yazicioglu said that Turkey wanted to further develop relations with Uzbekistan.

Yazicioglu said that recently Uzbekistan-Turkey Joint Economic Commission meeting was held in Ankara, and that meeting would contribute development of relations.

Yazicioglu and accompanying delegation also visited Bayteks textile factory which had a Turkish capital and employed 2,000 people.

Minister Yazicioglu will visit Samarkand city on Tuesday, and also meet Uzbekistan`s ministers of foreign affairs, foreign economic relations, investment and commerce.

source - TurkishPress

[cianore]

Uzbekistan lacks progress on IPR issues

Uzbekistan will remain on the USTR Watch List in 2008. The United States remains concerned about Uzbekistan's lack of progress on IPR issues. Although Uzbekistan passed a revised copyright law in 2006 and recently has started to close down shops that sell pirated products, numerous IPR deficiencies remain. Uzbekistan has acceded to the Berne Convention, but the United States notes its concern with Uzbekistan's continuing reservation to Article 18 of the Convention, which requires that signatory countries provide copyright protection to pre-existing works. Uzbekistan does not provide protection for sound recordings or pre-existing works, and has not acceded to the Geneva Phonograms Convention or the WIPO Internet Treaties. In addition, IPR enforcement in Uzbekistan remains weak due to a lack of ex officio authority that would allow customs officials to seize infringing goods at the border, a lack of civil ex parte search procedures, and inadequate criminal penalties for IPR violations. The United States urges Uzbekistan to address these deficiencies in its IPR legal regime and to take immediate and effective measures to improve IPR enforcement. The United States will continue to work together with Uzbekistan on these outstanding IPR issues through discussions related to Uzbekistan's bid for WTO accession and in the on-going review of Uzbekistan's status as a beneficiary country under the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Program.

Some of other countries enlisted in the watch list are Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

Source (http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Reports_Publications/2008/2008_Special_301_Report/Section_Index.html): U.S. Department of State

[Ma'ruf]

Judayam qiziq yangiliklar...to'htatmang.

[Abdug'ofur]

Uzbekistan lacks progress on IPR issues

Uzbekistan will remain on the USTR Watch List in 2008. The United States remains concerned about Uzbekistan's lack of progress on IPR issues. Although Uzbekistan passed a revised copyright law in 2006 and recently has started to close down shops that sell pirated products, numerous IPR deficiencies remain. Uzbekistan has acceded to the Berne Convention, but the United States notes its concern with Uzbekistan's continuing reservation to Article 18 of the Convention, which requires that signatory countries provide copyright protection to pre-existing works. Uzbekistan does not provide protection for sound recordings or pre-existing works, and has not acceded to the Geneva Phonograms Convention or the WIPO Internet Treaties. In addition, IPR enforcement in Uzbekistan remains weak due to a lack of ex officio authority that would allow customs officials to seize infringing goods at the border, a lack of civil ex parte search procedures, and inadequate criminal penalties for IPR violations. The United States urges Uzbekistan to address these deficiencies in its IPR legal regime and to take immediate and effective measures to improve IPR enforcement. The United States will continue to work together with Uzbekistan on these outstanding IPR issues through discussions related to Uzbekistan's bid for WTO accession and in the on-going review of Uzbekistan's status as a beneficiary country under the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Program.

Some of other countries enlisted in the watch list are Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

Source (http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Reports_Publications/2008/2008_Special_301_Report/Section_Index.html): U.S. Department of State

Who could find and post here the complete text of the law of Uzbekistan about Copyright or right of Authorship? Who can provide more elaborate articles or books about copyright and authorship issues in Uzbekistan?

[cianore]

UZBEKISTANI PROSTITUTES ARRESTED IN PATTAYA LIKELY PART OF A MAFIYA SEX-TRAFFICKING NETWOR

Once again sex workers from the CIS, specifically Uzbekistan, were apprehended in the early hours of May 6, 2008, plying their trade in Walking Street. They had apparently been working for the past two months without any complaints having been made against them. On this occasion, 12 ladies were observed approaching tourists and other denizens of Walking Street, centre of the infamous red-light district of Pattaya, where they apparently offered their services.

They were duly arrested by police and taken to Pattaya Police Station, where they confessed to practising prostitution. Their charges for their services were variously estimated as between Bt2,500 and 3,000. They were charged and will subsequently appear in court, to be deported if found guilty. However, if denied re-entry to Thailand, a prominent Russian tour guide, who does not wish to be named, told Pattaya Daily News, they are likely to journey to Dubai, the most lucrative of the work-spots, to continue plying the oldest profession, either as free-lancers or part of a Mafiya-organized sex-trafficking network.

Thousands of citizens of the CIS, the eleven former Soviet Republics, have taken advantage of the relatively high returns for sexual favours available in such places as Dubai, Bahrain, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. So poor are the wages in these former Soviet Republics, that even professional such as doctors, business women and scientists have been known to enter the sex trade, especially in the aforementioned countries.

Dubai affords amongst the richest pickings in the world for prostitution, where the sex-workers , called 'night butterflies' in Russian, can earn 10 times what an equivalent sex worker could earn in Thailand. Current estimates are that there are several thousand prostitutes in Dubai. Apart from a few African women, they mainly come from Russia, the Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Chechnya, Kyrgyzstan and other republics of the CIS. Some are apparently currently enjoying a high life style, whose authorities are turning a blind eye to the often blatant sex-trade.

What causes the most affront, on the other hand, is that many of these female sex-workers are Muslim. These find special favour from citizens of other Gulf Arab countries, especially Saudis and Kuwaitis, who flock down to the UAE every Friday, the Muslim holy day to indulge; this especially in Bahrain, which is a mere drive across the sea-spanning bridge linking the island with the Saudi Arabian mainland.



Many of the young Muslim women - some former students - who came looking for work have ended up in a trap of sin, poverty, exploitation, hopelessness and fear. Often, those who try to escape their ordeal get killed by pimps and others, especially members of the Russian Mafiya, who are the main traffickers, and who have an inherent interest in seeing the women trapped long-term.

Every week, women arrive on flights from the CIS on pre-arranged visas by agents who then confiscate their passports, and set them to 'work', holding them to ransom by forcing them to repay their air fares, arranged visas and their sub-standard accommodation. Some, however, manage to escape and earn high rewards, plying their trade in the night-club, hotel bars and discos of Dubai as free-lancers, choosing as their customers mainly Western ex-pats, who either work in the UAE or neighbouring Gulf Arab states, or as, mentioned previously, the citizens of the oil-rich Arab states.

A recent Sunday Times report maintains Dubai, like Bahrain, "has prospered as a centre for fun-starved Saudis". Yet, the authorities turn a blind eye to this practice, largely because the business community, both Arab and expatriate, prefers things this way. Dubai is the most lenient of the Gulf Arab states, but unlike its oil-rich neighbours, owes most of its prosperity to being the region's tax-free, mercantile centre. Dubai defers to the business community which, like secular Gulf Arabs, wants to preserve a Shari'ah-free zone in the region. The six other members of the UAE, and their Western protectors, share Dubai's antipathy to an Islamic way of life, supporting its toleration of prostitution.

The authorities minimize the prostitution racket, even going so far as to deny its existence and the local media is apparently forbidden from mentioning it. The authorities are apparently more concerned with Mafiya money-laundering and drug-smuggling, while the sex-workers enjoy not only the rich fruits of their trade, but almost complete indemnity from deportation.
____________________________
Photos are available at source (http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.php?IDNEWS=0000005907) which left impression that they are not victims of traficking but willing prostitutes who were seeking better portion of their "good luck" in Asian resort destinations. I would totally ignore if they claimed they had nothing else to survive but soliciting. (cianore)

[cianore]

Another news on Uzbek Prostitute.

JAIPUR, India: With the arrest of two Russian nationals on charge of prostitution, investigations reveal that sex trade has already spread its tentacles in the city.

A few days back, when an Uzbekistan national, identified as Rakimova, was arrested from a city-based hotel in C-scheme locality, the pimp, identified as Kusumm managed to escape. The police suspect that Rakimova was not the only one and there are many other foreigner prostitutes, who were in touch with Kusum.

"Residents have seen four to five foreign girls coming to Kusum’s house on regular basis," said a neighbour, who did not want to be identified. "Luxury vehicles used to be parked in front of Kusum’s house," he added.

"The Uzbekistan national used to charge Rs 2000 while the Turkmenistan citizen charged between Rs 1000 and Rs 5000 per visit," says Dinesh Sharma, SHO, Jhotwada police station.

Additional SP (South) Rajesh Singh said that both the Russian nationals were arrested under Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA) for prostitution. He also said that both of them were sent to Jaipur by a Delhi-based sex racket owner. "They had taken their transit visas and passports and handed them over photocopies of the documents in order to control their move-ment," added Singh.

On their modus operandi, he said "The racket brings them to Delhi, from where they are sent to different cities of the country. These women are very poor and cannot earn much through prostitution in their countries compared to India. The lady from Turkmenistan is married and has a son. Her husband used to beat her up after drinking. She was contacted by a member of the racket operating in Delhi," he added.

"This gang has local contacts in every city. These agents manage cheap rooms on rent for these women. Kadar Khan, who was arrested with Vilikova, had put her in a room in Ashok Vihar area at Jhotwada. The landlord did not live there, so it went unnoticed for some days," said Raghuveer Singh, Circle officer, Jhotwada.

"The money earned by them in prostitution is distributed among the members of racket, local contacts and these women. Some local contacts after getting in touch with the customers start dealing with them directly," he added.

source (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Jaipur/Foreign_sex_racket_in_desert_state_say_police/articleshow/3016979.cms)

[cianore]

Uzbekistani girls ensure berth in knock-out stage.

An Indian source reports top-seeded Uzbekistan have ensured their berth in knock-out stage of the Asia-Oceania Junior Fed Cup under-16 tennis tournament in Bangkok along with Thailand, China, Japan and Chinese Taipei. It quotes that South Korea seems to be the other team from Uzbekistan's group to qualify to the next stage.

Apart above-mentioned teams, India and Australia did also reached to knock-outs after beating their rivals.

source (http://www.hindu.com/2008/05/07/stories/2008050761072200.htm)

[cianore]

Henin coasts, Ivanovic struggles at German Open

BERLIN: Defending champion Ana Ivanovic overcame a slow start Wednesday to beat Uzbek qualifier Akgul Amanmuradova 7-6 (0), 6-2 and reach the round of 16 at the German Open.

The second-ranked Serb couldn't break her opponent's serve in the first set, but pulled it out in the tiebreaker with precise drop shots and forehand winners that hit the line.

Ivanovic took control in the second set against the 1.90-meter (6-foot-3) Amanmuradova, who only entered the main draw when former No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo pulled out injured Monday.

"This was the tournament that made me. I found my game here," the 20-year-old Ivanovic said of last year's win. "Ever since then I have the confidence to believe I can be a top player."

Ivanovic had more trouble against Amanmuradova, a former basketball player, than anticipated.

"I definitely didn't perform well," Ivanovic said. "She's very tall, she has a strong serve and they kicked high. It took me time to get used to them,"

Top-ranked Justine Henin also advanced, beating Chan Yung-jan of Taiwan 6-0, 6-2.

The Belgian returned from a break looking to regain confidence after a 6-2, 6-0 pounding by Serena Williams in her last match — the most one-sided loss for a No. 1 player in nine years.

"If I can get my confidence back, then it has to be here," said Henin, a three-time champion. "The German Open has been very good to me. I will need to keep my concentration up, but this was a good start."

Fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic beat Peng Shuai of China 7-5, 6-0, No. 3 Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Catalina Castano 6-3, 6-2, and No. 11 Agnieszksa Radwanska rolled past Angelika Bachmann 6-1, 6-1.

Two seeded players were beaten. Victoria Azarenka rallied to upset No. 6 Anna Chakvetadze 1-6, 7-6 (1), 6-4, and Maria Kirilenko beat No. 16 Nadia Petrova, 6-3, 6-3.

The German Open, with 17 of the world's top 20 players in the field, is expected to establish a favorite for the upcoming French Open.

Ivanovic believes this year the favorite has to be Williams, who is riding a 16-match winning streak, and not four-time French Open champion Henin.

"Henin has mastered clay, but I think the game is getting more powerful, like Serena is playing," she said.

A second title in Berlin would also rank Ivanovic, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, among the French Open contenders.

"I definitely think I have the game," the Serb said. "At the French Open final, I was just too nervous. At the Australian, it was better. It's a learning experience."

source - International Herald Tribune

[cianore]

Chagaev-Valuev title re-match now July

HAMBURG, Germany -- The world heavyweight title re-match between WBA champion Ruslan Chagaev of Uzbekistan and Nikolai Valuev of Russia has been rescheduled for July 5.


Chagaev's WBA heavyweight defense against former holder Nikolai Valuev now takes place in July.

The fight was originally arranged for May 31, but was postponed because Chagaev has a viral infection.

Universum promotions said Wednesday the venue for the rescheduled fight had not been decided.

The 145kg Valuev, who is more than two meters tall, lost the WBA title to Chagaev in April 2007 on a majority points decision in the only defeat of his career -- and the pair had been scheduled to meet again in Oberhausen, Germany.

Since the fight, Chagaev has been blighted by health problems and has defended his title just once -- against British fighter Matt Skelton in January. He has an unblemished record of 24 wins with 17 knock-outs.

In contrast, Valuev has changed his coach since his defeat and has won two fights to become the WBA's number-one challenger.

He has 48 wins to his credit -- 34 of those by knock-out -- and landed a lopsided decision against former WBO champion Sergei Liakhovich in February

source - CNN

[cianore]

President to oversee NGMK.

Tashkent: On Wednesday multiple sources reported quoting to Rosbalt the President of Uzbekistan will oversee Nawoiy Mining and Metallurgical Combine (NGMK), nation's biggest mining company by forming presidential committee.

NGMK which produces nations major portion of gold and uranium as well as active in other mining activities was being auditing by state control bodies since december 2007. Meanwhile, the fatal helicopter crash with deputy director and chief engineer of NGMK on board in last year was the launching point of auditing campaign against NGMK's governing officials. Vadim Kucherski stilll remains in charge with NGMK as the director-general though almost all of his deputies and head of departments were reported arrested for allegations or other financial criminal activities within Uzbekistan's largest miner.

For the first time in it's entire history the amount of shareholders' capital in state-owned NGMK made public and put on 980 billion UZS, which is roughly equivalent to 755,6 million USD ( 1 UZS = 0.000771 USD)

On the other hand, the company is investing in several new projects and eyeing to double gold output by 2012 which is currently about 56 to 65 metric tonns annually.

source - cianoreNewsWire

[cianore]

Asian Champions League: Gamba, Kuruvchi, Saipa, Qadsia begin to fill quarterfinal field

Japan's Gamba Osaka, Kuruvchi of Uzbekistan, Iran's Saipa and Kuwait's Al Qadsia became the first four teams to reach the quarterfinals of the Asian Champions League Wednesday, while last year's runner-up, Sepahan, was eliminated.

Gamba advanced with a 2-0 away win over Thailand's Chonburi, giving it the Group G title. Only the group winners advance. Gamba improved to 13 points, eight clear of its nearest rival with only one game to play.

Saipa won the Group B title, beating Al Kuwait SC 1-0 to give itself 11 points, five better than second-place Al Wasl, which won away at Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 2-1 to eliminate the Iraqi club.

Kuruvchi won 2-0 over Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia to move to the brink of qualification in Group A, and Al Ittihad of Syria assured the Uzbek side of advancing when it beat Sepahan 2-1 later to eliminate the last contender.

Al Qadsia allowed a late goal and settled for a 2-2 draw at home against Uzbekistan's Pakhtakor, but still clinched the Group D title. The result left Al Qadsia three points ahead of Pakhtakor with one game remaining, and was guaranteed advancing due to having beaten Pakhtakor 1-0 in the opening round.

The quartet joins the defending champion Urawa Red Diamonds in the quarterfinals, with three berths yet to be decided.

Adelaide United moved to the brink of the quarterfinals with a 1-0 victory over the Pohang Steelers of South Korea. The victory gave it 13 points in Group E, keeping it two ahead of Changchun Yatai of China, which beat Vietnam's Binh Duong 5-0. Changchun will host Adelaide in the final round of games May 21 to decide the group.

Al Wahda scored a late 1-0 victory over Al Karama, denying the Syrian side from clinching a quarterfinal berth and keeping its hopes alive in Group C. Al Karama still leads the group with 10 points, two ahead of Al Wahda.

Al Karama will have the advantage in the final round, playing at home against last-placed and winless Al Ahli while Al Wahda must travel to Qatar to play Al Sadd. Al Wahda drew with the Al Sadd in their home leg against the Qatari club on March 19.

And the Kashima Antlers routed Krung Thai Bank 8-1 to send Group F down to the final round. With Beijing Guoan's 3-0 victory over Nam Dimh, Kashima and Guoan remained tied atop the group with 12 points. However, with Kashima and Guoan splitting their two legs — both winning 1-0 at home — the group could come down to goal difference.

Kashima has a plus-21 goal difference while Guoan has a plus-12. Both Kashima and Beijing play their final games away, the Antlers at winless Nam Dimh and Guoan at Krung Thai Bank.

source - International Heral Tribune

[cianore]

Commodity price boom offers Central Asia platform for economic success - S&P
05.07.08, 9:18 AM ET

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said soaring commodity prices are affording Central Asia a real opportunity to create lasting economic success, and added the region's leaders need to consistently improve the quality of the business environment and prepare their countries for the inevitable transition of leadership.

Though vast resource endowments are a necessary condition for economic advancement, they are not sufficient on their own, and the real test is to get the products to the markets, S&P said.

Oil (especially in Kazakhstan) and gas (predominantly in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) are the most valuable natural assets in the region. While Central Asia's hydrocarbons deposits are modest by global standards, the region's population is even smaller in relative terms, which suggests that sustained high energy prices should provide an excellent springboard to prosperity, S&P said.

Growth in the region is robust, averaging between 5 percent per year in Kyrgyzstan and almost 10 percent per year in Kazakhstan over the past five years. Improved terms of trade lie at the heart of this growth, generating domestic demand among consumers and business communities, while investment has reached unprecedented levels, S&P said.

In the near term, the largest threats to stability and prosperity arise from the consequences of irrational exuberance during the resource boom. They are most evident in Kazakhstan, where rampant credit growth and an unprecedented construction bonanza have created serious economic imbalances, the rating agency said.

source - Forbes via Thomson Financial

[cianore]

Uzbek man on FBI wanted list arrested
Wanted in US for money laundering, cyber crime

An Uzbek man wanted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation for alleged money laundering and child pornography offences in the United States has been arrested in Pattaya. Mikhail Georgevich Komov, 39, was apprehended on Saturday near a condominium in Chon Buri's Bang Lamung district.

The FBI requested Thai assistance after learning he had fled to Thailand and was believed to be hiding under the protection of a Russian gang in Pattaya suspected of running a tour company as a front.

Central Investigation Bureau deputy commander Pol Maj-Gen Panya Mamen announced the man's arrest at a press conference yesterday attended by representatives of the US embassy.

Pol Maj-Gen Panya said the CIB had no evidence the suspect committed any sexual offences in Thailand.

Mr Komov told police he had been making trips to Thailand from Uzbekistan for about three years and often stayed in Pattaya. He refused to speak about the charges laid by the FBI.

The US embassy said Mr Komov faces charges of cyber crime in addition to money laundering.

The FBI, which has been searching for him for three years, alleges Mr Komov posted pornographic photos of children on websites and acted as a broker for their sexual services.

CIB criminal records show the suspect was arrested in Thailand last year by tourist police for allegedly using fake credit cards.

He was nabbed on Aug 25 as he was withdrawing money from an ATM outside the Siam Commercial Bank in tambon Nong Prue in Bang Lamung district. The police also seized from him 18 credit cards and 16,800 baht cash.

However when the case went to state prosecutors, they decided not to indict him, Pol Maj-Gen Panya said.

CIB police plan to to hand over Mr Komov to the Office of the Attorney-General for extradition to the US under an agreement on transnational criminals.

Police are also keeping a close watch on the Russian gang, which runs a tourist agency bringing Russian tourists to Thailand. However, police suspect the gang of involvement in some shady businesses.

''We'll continue to monitor them to see if they are doing anything illegal,'' Pol Maj-Gen Panya said.

source (http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/07May2008_news16.php)

[cianore]

Uzbek Couple Attacked and Murdered in Moscow

MOSCOW - An Uzbek couple were beaten and stabbed to death in northeast Moscow early on Wednesday, a police source said.

Shortly after midnight, a group of three young people described as skinheads set upon the man and the woman, both in their forties. The victims worked as street cleaners.

Police have said the murder was either a racial attack or a particularly violent robbery.

2008 has seen another rise in the number of attacks on people of Central Asian origin in Russia. In February, the Kyrgyz embassy in Moscow sent an official note of protest to Russia's Foreign Ministry, Interior Ministry and the Prosecutor General's Office protesting at the murders of at least four Kyrgyz nationals in Russia since the start of the year.

source (http://mnweekly.ru/news/20080507/55327577.html)

[cianore]

Oxus gets $150mln loan for Uzbekistan project

LONDON, May 8 (Reuters) - Oxus Gold Plc has obtained loan facilities worth $150 million to finance the development of its Amantaytau Goldfields project in Uzbekistan, the central Asia-focused gold miner said on Thursday.

The limited-recourse senior debt facility is arranged by Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Oxus said, with the final amount to be later determined by a feasibility study scheduled for completion by the end of May.

source - Thomson Reuters

[cianore]

President of Uzbekistan is going to visit Azerbaijan

Baku: President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov is going to visit Azerbaijan officially.

Azerbaijani Government informed Fineko/abc.az that at present the session of Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation is being prepared.

”It will be held in Baku before the visit of Uzbek summit delegation this year,” the Government informed.

In its turn Embassy of Uzbekistan in Azerbaijan reported to Fineko/abc.az that they are still not informed about the definite terms of I.Karimov’s visit.

source - Fineko/abc.az

[cianore]

Uzbekistan Reduces Gas Supplies to Tajikistan

Dushanbe, 8 May: Uzbekistan has reduced the volumes of natural gas supplies to Tajikistan, the Tojikgaz [Tajik gas] state unitary enterprise has told the Avesta news agency.

The source said that at present, the volumes of the supplies is 28,000 cu.m. per hour. Two weeks ago, the figure was 30,000 cu.m. per hour.

"A cause of the reduction in the volumes of the natural gas supplies is conditioned with the amount of a debt to Uzbek partners, which is currently amounting to about 8m dollars," the source said.

"Tojikgaz's debtors are mainly industrial enterprises and the country's population. For example, the debt of the Barq-i Tojik [Tajik Electricity]open joint-stock holding company for natural gas consumption is almost 24m somoni (over 7m dollars)," the state unitary enterprise said.

The source also said that some of industrial companies have suspended their operation because of the reduction of the natural gas imports from the neighbouring country. Specifically, it is related to the Tojiktsement [Tajik cement] and a nitrogen fertilizer plant.

Work of strategic facilities and the development of agriculture in Tajikistan depend on the output of the companies.

source - redOrbit quoting to Avesta

[cianore]

Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan Positions Will not Hinder Formation of Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic Speaking States – Turkish MP
07.05.08 15:44

Azerbaijan, Baku, 7 may: The Turkish Parliament considers that refusal by Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to form the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic speaking states will not hinder formation of this Assembly,

” Turkey hopes that Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan will join the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic speaking states over the time,” Haluk Ipak, Chairman of the Inter parliamentary Group of Azerbaijan-Turkey Friendship and member of the ruling Justice and Development party in the Turkish Parliament, stated.

There are 6 Turkic speaking countries. But, only Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have signed an agreement to establish the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic speaking states. Establishment of the Assembly will be declared in the next meeting in Ankara in July. Earlier, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan had refused to form this new union. Both countries did not detail the reason of refusal.

Turkey pays pertinent attention on establishment of the Assembly, Ipak said.

source - TrendNews (http://news.trendaz.com/index.shtml?show=news&newsid=1193934&lang=EN)

[cianore]

Settlement in Afghanistan: Back to 1997?
By PYOTR GONCHAROV

MOSCOW -- Pakistan has started talks with the Taliban in the northwestern province of the country bordering on Afghanistan. Kabul authorities fear that Islamabad will stop military operations, thus giving the Taliban a chance to become more active in Afghanistan.

The two proposals on stabilizing Afghanistan, which Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf made during his visit to China in mid-April, do not look surprising in this light.

He has called on China and Russia to increase their contribution to solving the Afghan problem, and also mentioned the possibility of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) becoming involved.

"If the SCO can come along, then we would need to ensure that there is no confrontation with NATO," he said.

The SCO is a regional organization of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Other Pakistani politicians have been talking about the potential role of regional states, apparently referring to Russia and China, in Afghanistan.

Musharraf's proposal has evoked considerable response. Indian expert and diplomat M.K. Bhadrakumar interprets it as support for the initiative on reviving the 6+2 group on Afghanistan, advanced by Uzbek President Islam Karimov at the NATO summit in Bucharest in early April.

The group, made up of Afghanistan's neighbors - Iran, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - as well as Russia and the United States as the guarantor countries, was set up in 1997 on Karimov's initiative. Its goal was to negotiate a settlement to the Afghan conflict between the Northern Alliance, which represented Afghan authorities, and the Taliban, which by that time controlled the bulk of the country.

In 1996 and 1997, when the conflict was becoming uncontrollable, several international conferences were held and documents approved on the problem, but to no avail. Sensing the need for a negotiating mechanism, Karimov proposed setting up the 6+2 group.

In July 1999, the group met in Tashkent and adopted a declaration on the guidelines for a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan. A significant fact is that it was signed in the presence of delegates from the Northern Alliance and the Taliban, and the latter announced its intention to continue dialogue within the framework of the 6+2 group.

The world welcomed the warring sides' agreement to talk as palpable progress. Unfortunately, this was as far as the group got.

Can this mechanism be used again, especially now that many express doubts about NATO's involvement in the U.N. peacekeeping mission? Karimov has proposed adding NATO to the group as one of the guarantors.

Russian expert Vitaly Naumkin, president of the International Center for Strategic and Political Studies in Moscow, said all aspects of the Uzbek president's initiative were good. They are acceptable to all sides, including regional countries, Russia and the West, he said. Importantly, the 6+3 format could also allay NATO and Washington's suspicions regarding Russia's intentions in Afghanistan.

Moscow has hinted more than once that it is not satisfied with limited aspects of its cooperation with NATO. In particular, it is not happy to provide only transportation corridors across its territory, and demands that it is accepted as an equal partner in cooperation with NATO.

However, NATO and the United States are wary of Moscow's proposals to involve the SCO and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Afghanistan. Therefore, the 6+3 format looks like a reasonable compromise instead of the SCO involvement.

The new format has a number of advantages. First, it stipulates the participation of Turkmenistan, with which Afghanistan has always had good relations.

Second, a contact group, such as 6+2 or 6+3, is not a formal organization such as the SCO or CSTO. (The CSTO is a regional security bloc in Central Asia that includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.) Kabul is not willing to join such organizations in order to solve its economic problems or stabilize the domestic situation.

Nevertheless, Brussels and Washington pretended not to hear Karimov's proposal or Musharraf's idea, but why?

According to Bhadrakumar, Washington fears that Moscow and Tashkent have coordinated their actions, and that the United States, if it accepts Karimov's proposal, which amounts to NATO's cooperation with Russia in Afghanistan, will have to abandon its plans for the bloc's eastward expansion and the admission of Georgia and Ukraine, as a sign of gratitude.

There are other arguments as well. If NATO agrees to join the group, it and the U.N. Security Council, which had given the peacekeeping mandate to NATO, will have to decide on the status, mandate and powers of the new group. This is a very delicate issue, especially in the light of the group's relations with NATO, which is overseeing the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, and with the United States, which controls the counterterrorist coalition.

Will the new contact group be effective as a mechanism of negotiations with the Taliban, and what will Kabul officials make of it?

There are other possibilities. One way or another, Washington and NATO will have to determine their attitude toward Russia and China's possible involvement in Afghanistan. These two countries have as many interests and possibilities in the region as the United States and Europe.

The decision to set up the group or bury the idea should be made before the international conference on Afghanistan, to be held in Paris in June.

source - Middle East Times

[cianore]

Uzbek teens clinch the title

On Sunday, Asian Oceanian Junior Fed Cup (under 16) tennis tournament in Bangkok finds it's end with a match between Uzbekistan and China. Uzbeks girls proved they were too good for China and the top seeded Uzbekistan beat China 3-0.

The final placings:
1. Uzbekistan, 2. China 3. Chinese Taipei, 4. Korea, 5. Australia, 6. Japan, 7. Thailand, 8. India, 9. Indonesia, 10. New Zealand, 11. Pacific Oceania, 12. Philippines, 13. Hong Kong, 14. Singapore, 15. Kazakhstan and 16. Malaysia

cianoreNewsWire

[cianore]

Uzbek to supply 2,600T uranium to S.Korea

SEOUL, May 12 (Reuters) - A South Korean state nuclear power company, owned by KEPCO, has signed a contract to secure 2,600 tonnes of uranium from Uzbekistan between 2010 and 2016, valued at about $400 million, Yonhap news said on Monday.

The deal, signed during South Korean Prime Minister Han Seung-soo's visit to central Asia this week, will diversify the country's uranium import sources to six countries, including Australia, Canada and Kazakhstan, the report cited an unnamed government official.

The new supply also represents 9 percent of South Korean uranium consumption a year on an annualised basis.

Separately, Korea National Oil Corp agreed to explore oil and gas fields jointly with Uzbekistan's state gas company, UzbekNefteGaz, Yonhap reported.

In return, South Korea will provide the central Asian nation with economic cooperation funds worth $120 million during 2008 and 2011, raise a credit line to state-run banks and offer free aids to improve medical and residential facilities in Uzbekistan.

The South Korean Prime Minister's office could not be immediately reached for comment.

Resource-poor South Korea, which relies on a stable supply of raw materials to feed its export-driven economy, is keen to develop uranium mines around the world in the face of soaring global prices.

Uranium is used to fuel most of the world's nuclear reactors. Soaring oil prices and international attempts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have put the spotlight on nuclear energy.

source - Thomson Reuters

[cianore]

Россия: Россельхознадзор временно запретил импорт узбекского хлопка
12.05.2008 09:28 msk


С 12 мая Россельхознадзор вводит временные ограничения на импорт из Узбекистана растительной продукции в связи с обнаружением в ней опасного карантинного объекта — капрового жука, сообщает Коммерсант.

Основной статьей узбекского экспорта растительной продукции в Россию является хлопковое волокно. Ежегодно в стране производится около трех с половиной миллионов тонн хлопка-сырца и 1-1,2 миллиона тонн хлопкового волокна, около сорока процентов от общего объема которого поставляется в Россию. За первые три месяца 2008 года Россия импортировала 67,5 тысяч тонн хлопкового волокна на $71,3 млн.

«Ограничения введены и в отношении подкарантинной продукции третьих стран, сопровождаемой фитосанитарными сертификатами, выданными главной государственной инспекцией по карантину растений министерства сельского и водного хозяйства Узбекистана», - цитирует Россельхознадзор Gzt.ru.

Не исключено, что санкции Россельхознадзора будут распространяться и на сухофрукты, которые Россия также импортирует из Узбекистана. Причем в этом случае введение ограничений может коснуться не только узбекских производителей. Так, основными поставщиками сухофруктов для России являются Иран, Турция и Афганистан. При этом поставки из Афганистана в Россию нередко проходят транзитом через Узбекистан. Таким образом, Россия может лишиться одного из крупнейших поставщиков сухофруктов.

source - Ferghana.ru
Note:The source is not reliable at times, but I still preferred to post the news, because it may directly affect so many families in Uzbekistan whose primary business is exporting fruit and vegatable to Russia. (cianore)

[Compromise]

cianore aka
Bu habarlarni to'htatib qo'yibsiz, davom ettiring kutib qolamiz ;)