zbekistan and Germany have agreed to expand cooperation in fuel and energy during a visit by Uzbek government officials to Germany. An Uzbek government spokesman told Interfax that a delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Valery Atayev attended a symposium on the Development, Perspectives and Investment Projects in Uzbekistan's Oil and Gas Industry. The symposium was organized by the Uzbek embassy in conjunction with the Federal Economics Ministry and the Eastern Economics Committee. It was attended by officials from federal and provincial German ministries, major companies and banks.

Topics for discussion included a role for German companies in financing investment projects by the national oil and gas company Uzbekneftegaz. Germany offered Uzbekistan assistance with supplies of drilling equipment and compressor stations. A memorandum on cooperation was signed with Germany's Ansol Ltd. to deliver investment projects in Uzbekistan's fuel and energy sector up to 2011. The total amount of foreign investment in that period will amount to $300 million-$400 million.

The spokesman said 77 representative offices of German companies were operating successfully in Uzbekistan. Trade between the two countries hit DM 637 million over the past year. (Interfax, November 5)

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he Malaysian boxers may be sent for training in Uzbekistan to prepare for next year's Kuala Lumpur SEA Games. National team manager Abdullah Siok said an overseas stint would help the boxers mount a stronger challenge against regional powerhouses Thailand. "We believe (that the) training and experience gained overseas will produce results, and this time we plan to pick Uzbekistan,'' he said.

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resident of Zhibek Zholy village in Saryagach District [on the South Kazakhstan Region-Uzbek border], a Kazakh citizen, was wounded by a bullet. The victim says that Uzbek border guards fired at him.

Zhibek Zholy village, which is right on the [Kazakh-Uzbek] border, is divided by the Zakh canal. Uzbekistan is on the other side of the canal, and this side belongs to Kazakhstan. A resident of the village, a Kazakh citizen, Guseyn Azizov, has his home on the bank of the canal. Azizov was hit by bullets fired from the Uzbek side.

The victim said that he heard a loud noise from the street at about 2300 at night [local time - 1700 gmt] on 3rd November. Emerging from his home, he found that the noise was coming from the other side of the canal, from the Uzbek side. When he moved towards the canal, trying to find out what was happening, shots were fired at him. According to him, Uzbek border guards fired at him three times. The third bullet hit his legs. Guseyn Azizov is now in Saryagach District hospital. The bullet went through both of his legs. Doctors regard his condition as quite serious.

The Saryagach District department of the [Kazakh] Interior Ministry is currently investigating the incident. When we went to the scene of incident, we saw that the Uzbek law-enforcement bodies were also looking into the incident. So far, neither side has reached any definite official conclusion. If what the victim said proves to be true, then Uzbek border guards will have fired at a Kazakh citizen standing on Kazakh land. (Kazak Khabar TV, November 4)

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