any Uzbek areas that border on Kyrgyzstan and were formerly open have been closed as of 11 December. Special controls have been introduced and extra concrete barriers have been set up at all entries into Uzbekistan from Batken Region [in southern Kyrgyzstan, where militants invaded in August 1999 and 2000]. Kyrgyzstan, too, has taken appropriate steps, and was forced to drop in "a landing force", in other words, the deputy governor of Batken Region, Yuruslan Toychubekov, to settle this situation.

As it has become clear from Uzbek power-wielding structures' statements, these measures were taken in line with agreements on the introduction of an entry visa regime by Uzbekistan, which were signed earlier in Almaty [former Kazakh capital] in the summer of 2000 with all the countries which are the members of the Central Asian Economic Community.

Now many Kyrgyz citizens have to get used to new routes that bypass the existing ones. Roads which were common to all during the former Soviet times went to Uzbekistan following the sovereignty parade. In view of this, Kyrgyzstan has to build new roads without fail, and to solve the problem of the delimitation of borders at the same time.

Ordinary Kyrgyz citizens must study international regulations on how to visit and cross the border by the example of Uzbekistan.

Even the chairwoman of the Kyrgyz Constitutional Court, Cholpon Bayekova, who a few days ago was on a business trip to Batken and Osh [both in southern Kyrgyzstan], has experienced particular troubles. It turns out that Uzbek border guards did not let her escort through the border checkpoint, and she was forced to travel over 30 km bypassing the Uzbek border.

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It was attended by the heads of ministries, [government] departments and public organizations, as well as officials from medical and other colleges in [the Uzbek capital] Tashkent. The conference focused on the issue of jointly preventing flu and other infectious diseases. Since flu is currently the most widespread of the infectious diseases, the ECOSAN international foundation and the Uzbek Health Ministry have been working hard to draw the attention of the general public to preventing flu and other infectious diseases.

Nurmat Otabekov, head of the state public health and epidemiology department: "We need to point out one thing: the state is shouldering a heavy burden - protecting the population socially, increasing the country's defence capability and many other similar responsibilities. Allowing the outbreak of an epidemic of any infectious disease means increasing this burden significantly. We know from literature on diseases that, if an epidemic of any disease breaks out, we may have to spend a hundred, or even a thousand, times more funds on containing it than on taking ordinary preventive measures."

Additionally, the Uzbek chairman of the ECOSAN international foundation, Yusufjon Shodimetov, passed ECOSAN-allocated anti-flu medicines on to the heads of 11 district education departments in Tashkent. Recommendations were also made for preventing infectious diseases.

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This session which opened on the threshold of the 21st century will have a special place in the work of our parliament and become a historical one because more than 20 issues pertaining to various spheres of our life and the laws and resolutions to be adopted will strengthen further the legal basis of ensuring a good life in the Republic of Uzbekistan in the future.

The chairman of the Supreme Assembly, Erkin Khalilov, opened the session. The people's deputies approved the questions on the agenda of the session and elected the secretariat. Then the question of an appeal by the Supreme Assembly of the Republic of Uzbekistan to our people was considered. The chairman of the parliamentary Committee for International Issues and Interparliamentary Relations, Erkin Vohidov, took the floor. The deputies exchanged views on this issue.

Then President Islam Karimov of the Republic of Uzbekistan took the floor. At present the deputies are listening with great attention to the speech being delivered by the country's leader. The session is continuing its work.

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The first Asian Development Bank credit was used to finance more than 30 projects involving export-orientated and import-substituting industries and to create hundreds of new jobs in all Regions of the country, the paper said.

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Daewoo car of the Damas class has been tested in the Uzbek town of Andizhan [eastern Uzbekistan]. Most of its steering and gear components were manufactured at the Bodom joint-stock company in Konibodom.

Experts have concluded that the components meet all norms and standards and are much cheaper than Korean ones.

After an agreement is signed between the two governments, the plant in Konibodom will be able to provide all the cars of this class being produced in Uzbekistan with these components.

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Предполагается, что по окончании визита Акбаша обе стороны подпишут итоговый документ. Генерал Акбаш планирует посетить Совет национальной безопасности Узбекистана, где проведет переговоры с Миракбаром Рахманкуловым, секретарем Совета. Кроме того у него состоятся консультативные встречи в посольствах Франции и Турции в Узбекистане. Генеральный секретарь НАТО Лорд Джордж Робертсон был в Узбекистане 5-6 июля этого года, но не имел возможности встретиться с Президентом Каримовым.

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[Idrisov] It is now pleasing to note that the trade turnover between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Uzbekistan, which in January-September 1999 was worth 112.4m dollars, comprising exports of 45.6m dollars and imports of 66.8m dollars, reached 153.9m dollars during the same period of the current year, comprising exports of 99.6m and imports of 54.2m dollars. So, there is an obvious real increase in mutual trade. These figures make us optimistic, although the existing potential, to be frank, is still far from being used to the full.

If we look at the specifics, the main items exported by Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan in 2000 are salt, sulphur, stone, products from the flour-grinding and groats industry, timber and goods made from it, ore, slag, ash and so on, while Kazakhstan's imports from Uzbekistan include farm produce and fossil fuel.

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azakh Foreign Minister Yerlan Idrisov wound up the official part of his visit to Uzbekistan on Thursday.

The Kazakh foreign minister met students at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy. The minister-led delegation, then, held talks with Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister Turop Kholtoyev at the Uzbek Agriculture and Water Resources Ministry on agricultural, environmental and Aral Sea issues.

Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Komilov and Yerlan Idrisov signed two intergovernmental accords after their talks today: a protocol on coordinating cooperation and interaction between the Uzbek Foreign Ministry and the Kazakh Foreign Ministry and an intergovernmental agreement on the work of the two countries' border services. The two foreign ministers, then, gave a news briefing.

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zbekistan has extended visa-free transit for Tajik citizens through its territory till 1 January 2001.

The decision was made in response to the request from the Tajik embassy in Tashkent in connection with the mass appeals from Tajik people who are returning home after seasonal work.

The visa regime between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan was introduced on 16 October 2000 at Uzbekistan's initiative. At the same time, they left a simplified border-crossing procedure for people living in border districts. In addition, no visas are required for diplomats and other categories of public servants.

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zbekistan's small- and medium-scale enterprise (SME) sector will be revitalized and diversified through a US$50 million loan approved today by the Asian Development Bank.

The project will provide much-needed foreign exchange for the enterprises, generate employment opportunities and improve the sector's regulatory framework. In doing so, the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Project will promote balanced and sustainable economic growth and reduce poverty.

"The loan will help SMEs import capital goods, materials and technology to facilitate their production processes and become more competitive," says ADB financial analyst Radhakrishna Narasimham. "Importantly, it will also help the Government reform the overall legal, regulatory, and policy framework for SMEs."

The foreign exchange support will be provided through three participating banks, namely the National Bank of Uzbekistan for Foreign Economic Activity, Asaka Bank and Pakhta Bank. The ADB loan will also improve the efficiency of financial intermediation by commercial banks. Priority will go to export-oriented projects, which can better withstand shocks from currency depreciation. The project will help create new SMEs and modernize existing ones. The introduction of new technologies will increase demand for agricultural and mineral inputs, absorb surplus labor, and improve product quality.

Uzbekistan's rich natural resources, including water and moderate climate, and its skilled and educated workforce are advantages in SME development. In late 1999, the country had over 32,000 SMEs, accounting for about 8 percent of total employment. However, the sector's contribution to GDP has fallen due to constraints in the legal and regulatory system, management, finance, marketing skills and access to credit, particularly foreign exchange.

ADB will finance 50 percent of the total project cost of US$100 million while the balance will be financed by sub-borrowers and the participating banks. The ADB loan will come from its ordinary capital resources and is repayable over 15 years, including a grace period of three years. The Government will relend the loan proceeds in US dollars to the three participating banks with terms and conditions identical to ADB's terms and conditions. The participating banks will be the executing agencies for the project, which is scheduled for completion in March 2006.

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zbekistan's rail links will be strengthened domestically and internationally by a railway rehabilitation project for which the Asian Development Bank today approved a loan of US$70 million.

Railways are the country's backbone. Upgrading the 341-kilometer (km) part of the main railway route which crosses through the provinces of Bukhara, Dzhizak, Navoi and Samarkand will boost internal trade by cutting travel and business costs and will attract more investors from East Asia and Europe. Internally, some 5.5 million people from the four affected provinces will have better access to economic opportunities.

"An efficient railway will help open up vast mineral and agricultural resources, spur development of new industries and businesses, and generate jobs, particularly for the poor," notes Randhir Soin, ADB's mission leader for the project. Better transport will also expand tourism to historic cities such as Bukhara and Samarkand on the famed Silk Route.

The project will provide equipment for track laying and maintenance, install fiber-optic telecommunication systems, develop human resources, strengthen institutions, and establish a revolving fund for former railway employees to start up small businesses. Together with another ongoing ADB-assisted rail project, this project will complete improvement of 800km of the main railway route from Keles bordering Kazakhstan to Khodjadavlet, near the border with Turkmenistan.

Uzbekistan's strategic location makes it ideal for transporting goods by land from East Asia to Europe. "The government realizes that it needs to develop the regional transport corridor and ease existing trade barriers to take advantage of the Central Asian market with nearly 60 million people," adds Mr. Soin.

The ADB is also providing technical assistance to studies to further develop the rail network, draw up policies and procedures for the small business revolving fund, broaden passenger and tourist markets and conduct soil investigations along the route.

The total cost of the project is US$155 million. The ADB loan will come from its ordinary capital resources and will be repayable over 25 years, including a 5-year grace period. The interest rate will be determined according to ADB's pool-based variable lending rate for US dollar loans. Uzbekistan Railways, the government-owned joint stock company set up in 1994, will provide US$80 million while the OPEC Fund will finance US$5 million.

Uzbekistan Railways will be the executing agency for the project, which is due for completion by mid-2005.

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