eputies discussed the issues on the agenda of the second sitting of the first session of the Supreme Asssembly of the second convocation. After the election of the secretariat and approval of the agenda, the deputies approved the composition of the parliamentary committees and commissions and elected their chairmen.

Abdurafik Akhadov was elected chairman of the Committee on Budget, Banking and Financial Issues;

Nuriddin Ismoilov was elected chairman of the Committee on Legislation and Judicial Issues;

Erkin Vokhidov was elected chairman of the Committee on International Affairs and Interparliamentary Relations;

Iskandar Qalandarov was elected chairman of the Committee on Issues of Agriculture, Water Economy and Food Supplies;

Izidor Kochmarik was elected chairman of the Committee on Issues of Industry, Construction, Transport and Communications;

Mohammadjon Umaraliyev was elected chairman of the Committee on Economic Reforms and Issues of Entrepreneurship;

Oynisa Musurmonova was elected chairman of the Committee on Social Issues and Employment;

Narzulla Jorayev was elected chairman of the Committee on Issues of Science, Education, Culture and Sports;

Khudoybergan Jumabekov was elected chairman of the Committee on Issues of Environment and Portection of Nature;

Otkir Khoshimov was elected chairman of the Committee on Press and Information;

Ahtam Tursunov was elected chairman of the Committee on Issues of Defence and Security;

Akmal Saidov was elected chairman of the Committee on Democratic Institutions, Non-State Organizations and Self-Governing Bodies;

Shakarjon Khojiniyozova was elected chairman of the Commission on Regulations, Ethics and Guaranteeing Deputies' Activity;

Sharifa Salimova was elected chairman of the Commission on Problems of the Family and Women;

Firdavs Abduholiqov was elected chairman of the Commission on Youth Affairs;

Mirakmal Mirolimov was elected chairman of the Commission on Normative and Legal Terms;

Sayyora Rashidova was elected ombudsman, the Human Rights Commissioner of the Uzbek Supreme Assembly.

zbek President Islam Karimov told parliament on 11th February that the Fidokarlar Party, which nominated him in the January presidential elections had become too self-important and should start showing more respect for others' achievements. In remarks broadcast on Uzbek radio later the same day, he said action and not words was needed, and that the party needed to stop acting "hastily and carelessly" and take a longer-term view. The People's Democratic Party, Karimov said, should not assume that its superior numbers meant that it was the dominant party: a party's ideology and influence is more important than sheer numbers. The following are excerpts from report by Uzbek radio on 11th February:

At the second sitting of the Supreme Assembly session which started its work February 11 the deputies discussed questions included in the agenda. [passage omitted: the heads of the Supreme Assembly committees and commissions were elected - to be processed subsequently. The head of the parliamentary faction of the People's Democratic party I. Kochmarik made a speech. Then President Islam Karimov took the floor.

[Karimov] Words to the effect that the president is supporting us, that he wants to become the president on our behalf, as our nominee, made the Fidokorlar party a little bit proud, it started to scorn others. I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to say from this tribune that if Fidokorlar works showing respect for others as well, recognizing their achievements, admitting our customs and traditions and recognizing also our administrators in the Regions, irrespective of their party membership, instead of doing things hastily and carelessly without thinking them through thoroughly - if it does this, then tomorrow Fidokarlar can win a great deal of respect.

It is impossible to root out bribery just by shouting out the words, by declaring that we will root out bribery: if you remove one bribe-taker, another one will take his place tomorrow. We must bring up a new generation and then there will be no bribery and no violence. I would like to take this opportunity to say that the Fidokarlar party has been somewhat negatively affected by the opinion that I will topple everybody and that then we will be dominant. One must be composed and long-sighted. A party becomes strong only after its ideas penetrate people's minds. After an idea penetrates the masses, the people's mind, it grows into a strong force. There is no other way to attract people and to achieve great things. Remember that. This is my opinion.

From this point of view, speaking about the People's Democratic party, there is one thing in their spirit: we are the heirs of the former Communist party, it is not correct to say heirs, we can say successors, we are the biggest party and therefore the government may be formed of our members and the bodies of executive power may be formed of our party members. This is absolutely wrong. We have not yet reached that level. If four or five parties struggle against one another and win, that is a good thing. But today it is impossible. Just know that.

We have five or six parties and none of them can yet claim that it is the dominant one. Because at present times are different, our society is different and our people are different. Free thought, broad thinking and different thinking are in our minds, in our blood and bones. It is not correct to accumulate and forcefully implant the ideas of one party in all, it is impossible. If we think about the coming day and future, we must gradually realize this point of view, must make it our rule and then achieve something. It is impossible to achieve anything by hasty and careless deeds.

I must say once again that if a party does not have its own ideas and ideology, than it is not a party, it is a temporary phenomenon. Winning a post, hastily setting and achieving a goal, in the limited sense of the word, will sideline people. We must take another way. From this point of view I am telling Izidor Andreyevich Kochmarik [head of People's Democratic Party parliamentary faction] that you are saying that you are the strongest and biggest party. A party is not known for its numbers. It is known for its idea, its level of influence on people, the extent to which it penetrates people's minds and appeals to them.

he second sitting of the first session of Uzbekistan's Supreme Assembly of the second convocation was held in Tashkent February 11. The session is being attended by Uzbek President Islam Karimov, government members, foreign diplomats and foreign and local journalists. The Uzbek Supreme Assembly speaker, Erkin Khalilov, has opened the session. The deputies elected the session's secretariat and approved its agenda. After that, the parliament speaker, Erkin Khalilov, spoke about the tasks set by President Islam Karimov at the first sitting of the Supreme Assembly's first session and acute issues the parliament had to resolve. Afterwards, the deputies considered personnel issues. They approved the appointments of members of the Supreme Assembly's 12 committees and four commissions and elected their chairmen. Sayyora Rashidova was elected the Supreme Assembly's human rights commissioner [retained her post].

he Uzbek embassy in Tajikistan categorically denied the worrying for Tajik nationals report that Uzbekistan was allegedly introducing a visa requirement for CIS citizens. The news was carried by the Russian `Kommersant' newspaper and reprinted in the latest issue of the `Vecherniy Dushanbe' newspaper. The Asia-Plus news agency learned at the Uzbek embassy in Tajikistan on 8th February that at the moment there was a draft project to take such a measure and it was being worked on. Most likely, this issue will be discussed at a meeting of CIS heads of state at the end of this year.

zmetall Technology is the name of a new Uzbek-Israeli joint venture, the setting up of which has been approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan Uzmetall Technology has been set up with the aim of using the Kalmakar and Sary-Cheku copper-molybdenum deposits in Tashkent Region efficiently and processing an industrial molybdenum precursor.

The Almalyk Mining Metallurgical Combine, the Uzbek Heat Resistant and Refractory Materials Combine and the Israeli company Metek Metal Technology have become the founders of the joint venture. The Uzbek-Israeli enterprise, with its capacity to produce 600 t of molybdenum a year, is planning to produce its first output of molydenum trioxide, special small bars, discs and wire in mid-2001. The enterprise plans to export 392 t of molybdenum trioxide and its derivatives already in 2001. In 2002, exports will increase to 514.5 t, which will allow all the expenses incurred in setting up the joint venture and repaying the credits to be covered in five years.

azakhstan and Uzbekistan will begin talks on the sensitive issue of marking out their common border on Thursday, Kazakh Foreign Minister Yerlan Idrisov said. "Tomorrow talks over demarcating the border between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will begin in Tashkent," he told parliament in the Kazakh capital of Astana on Wednesday. "This is a complicated process, and will definitely take more than a year." The border issue is a sensitive one for the former Soviet republics, both vying for the unofficial role of regional leader in the oil-rich Central Asian region. Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry sent a note of protest to Uzbekistan last month after it accused Tashkent of setting up border signs without consultation.

Idrisov told reporters then that Kazakhstan would not give Uzbekistan "an inch of land," although the government has since toned down its statements. It now says that the row was caused by local Uzbek authorities acting without official permission. The disputed areas are densely populated and contain fertile land, a precious commodity in the arid region.

s from February 1, 2000 all domestic, CIS and international flights operated by the national carrier of Uzbekistan - Uzbekistan Airways - are non-smoking. It's a good piece of news for non-smokers and a very bad one for those who do smoke. With this act Uzbekistan Airways made one more step to the world standards in aviation and if they continue the same way, it may happen that the airline will become IATA member soon.

meeting to sum up the performance for 1999 and to discuss new prospects was held at Uzbek Interior Ministry. In 1999, officers of the law-enforcement bodies have carried out a number of measures to prevent and fight crime, to ensure security and strengthen law and order. Special attention was paid to boostind the fight against religious trends which destabilize the situation in the country, like Wahhabism and Hezb-e tahrir. For all that, it was said at the meeting that the final goal will be putting a stop to the activity of these movements. The reason for taking extreme measures in solving these problems is the real danger that these religious movements represent for our society. It was said at the meeting that officers of the law-enforcement bodies and the general public need to combine their efforts in fighting against those who break the law.

he British Embassy in Uzbekistan is rendering practical assistance to our country within the framework of the national staff training programme. At the opening ceremony of a new business school in the town of Nukus recently, the embassy presented special training aids and books for students to improve their English-language skills. In particular, the most impressive moment of this ceremony was when the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Great Britain to Uzbekistan, Mr Christopher Ingham, solemnly handed the key of this new educational establishment to its director.

he Newmont Mining Corporation's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ronald Cambre and President Wayne Murdy visited Uzbekistan February 7-11 to commemorate the production of the 50th tonne of gold by the "Zarafshan-Newmont" Joint Venture. Commemorative ceremonies to mark this milestone took place in Tashkent and Zarafshan.

The Zarafshan-Newmont Joint Venture was created in February 1992, six months after Uzbekistan's independence. The Joint Venture is a 50/50 partnership between Newmont (Uzbekistan) Ltd. — a subsidiary of Newmont Mining and two Uzbek entities — the State committee for Geology and Mineral Resources and the Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Combinat. The agreement granted the Joint Venture the right to process 220 million tons of low-grade waste material accumulated during 30 years of Muruntau open-pit mining operations. The plant processes 13.6 million tonnes of low-grade ore annually through 4 crushing stages.

The Uzbek government contributed the low-grade material and Newmont provided the necessary heap-leach gold extraction technology. Newmont also structured the financing of the $235 million dollar capital investment required for the project on a 60/40 debt to equity ratio. The loan was arranged by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Barclays Bank, with the participation of 12 other international banks. In 1993, the financing of the Zarafshan-Newmont Joint Venture was named the "Deal of the Year" by the Project Finance International Yearbook.

During his visit here, Mr. Cambre reported on the operating results of this joint venture. He also discussed the prospects for future investments in Uzbekistan's mining sector. Mr. Cambre and members of his delegation met with President Islam Karimov, the Prime Minister and other senior Uzbek government officials at the Central Bank, the Ministry for Foreign Economic Relations, the Ministry of Finance, the State Property Committee, the State Committee for Geology and Mineral Resources, the Uzbek Diamond and Gold (Uzalmazzoloto) Association and the Navoi Integrated Mining and Metallurgical Combine.

en passengers released by the terrorists from the Afghan Boeing-727 in Tashkent were sent today at 1300 local time by commercial flight to Termez, a town on the Uzbek-Afghan border. They will be sent home from there. A UN representative in Uzbekistan will escort the Afghans to the Khairat bridge along which the border runs. Passenger Abdul Khamit said that the hijackers were Afghans, as they were speaking Pushtu and Dari.

s reported to Interfax on Sunday [6th February] in the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, information has been confirmed that a passenger plane of an Afghan airline was seized by terrorists on Sunday. With reference to information from the plane's crew, a source in the Uzbek Foreign Ministry has reported that there are armed people on board the plane. After the plane landed at Tashkent airport, a condition was made: to refuel the plane, to supply some food and to let the plane fly off. Otherwise, the terrorists threatened to blow up the plane. According to the source, the Uzbek side was forced to accept the hijackers' conditions. The plane was refuelled, serviced and food was sent on board. Ten passengers were allowed to leave the plane, including four men, five women and one child, who are now at a medical establishment in Tashkent.