Султанов обсудит с руководством республики широкий круг вопросов двустороннего торгово-экономического сотрудничества и региональной безопасности. В частности, подчеркнули в МИД Киргизии, будут обсуждаться вопросы поставок газа и делимитации границ.

С 25 января текущего года Узбекистан прекратил поставки природного газа в Киргизию в связи с невыплаченной задолженностью Бишкека за прежние поставки. Киргизия не имеет собственных месторождений газа и удовлетворяет потребность в нем за счет импорта из Узбекистана.

Ранее председатель комитета по международным делам нижней палаты парламента Киргизии Алишер Абдимомунов заявил, что Узбекистан увязывает вопрос возобновления поставок газа с необходимостью ряда территориальных уступок со стороны Бишкека на проходящих в эти дни киргизско-узбекских переговорах по делимитации общей границы.

Top

егодня в Государственном академическом большом театре им. Алишера Навои начинают гастрольные выступления звезды Московского театра оперетты - народная артистка России Светлана Варгузова и народный артист России Юрий Веденеев.

Блестящий российский дуэт порадует своим мастерством любителей "легкого жанра" в спектакле Ташкентского государственного театра музыкальной комедией "Летучая мышь" на музыку Иоганна Штрауса.

Как сказали РИА "Новости" в министерстве по делам культуры республики, это первый визит звезд Московского театра оперетты в Узбекистан за последние годы.

Top

В докладе президента Ислама Каримова приведены и другие цифры, свидетельствующие об экономическом росте. Так, дефицит государственного бюджета не превысил 1 проц. от ВВП. Эмиссия наличных денег по итогам года составила 9,4 проц., что значительно ниже прогнозируемого уровня, и это позитивно сказывается на устойчивости системы денежного обращения. Проведение жестких антиинфляционных мер позволило снизить в течение года среднемесячную ставку рефинансирования с 36 до 24 проц. годовых, что также оказало стимулирующее воздействие на инвестиционные процессы.

Top

ajikistan has called claims by Kyrgyzstan to the effect that terrorist camps have been set up on the border between the two countries mere lies. A deputy secretary of the Kyrgyz Security Council claimed two days ago that Tajikistan had deployed a group of terrorists, supporters of [Uzbek Islamic Movement commander] Juma Namangoniy, in Tajik areas bordering on Kyrgyzstan. He stated that Tajikistan's eastern regions had become an international terrorist area.

Abdullo Habibov, a member of the security and defence commission of the Tajik parliament, denied the statements by the Kyrgyz authorities in an interview with a Voice and Vision correspondent in Dushanbe, saying that there were no militants from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in the areas mentioned by the Kyrgyz authorities. According to the Tajik MP, the forces supporting Jumaboy Namangoniy left eastern Tajikistan long ago, and there were no armed forces in the area. Habibov also said that the Kyrgyz authorities, which were facing internal political struggles, intended to use such claims to divert the attention of internal public opinion away from the country's development and to focus it on foreign threats.

Top

Jean-Pierre Rosso: "The Uzbek prime minister Utkir Sultanov and I discussed various aspects of our cooperation. We set the prospects for the future and exchanged views on issues concerning the production of equipment in our joint ventures.

"As we have learned, the slow pace of localizing production in our joint ventures has been criticized at the Cabinet of Ministers meeting on the results of 2000. We shall draw the appropriate conclusions. We will take all measures to start the production of many component parts at our joint ventures this year, because we give a high rating to cooperation with Uzbekistan, which is confidently following the path of progress.

"We have been given the opportunity to visit Andizhan [eastern Uzbekistan] and to take a closer look at the activity of the [Uzbek-Korean] Uzdaewooauto enterprise. We are grateful for this visit. We intend to examine the experience gained at the Asaka [Uzdaewooauto plant] on the local manufacture of parts in order to organize this work at our joint ventures in Tashkent."

There are four joint ventures set up with the US Case New Holding Corporation operating in our country. They are the Uz-Case Mash [Machinery], Uz-Case Tractor, Uz-Case Service and Uz-Case Leasing joint ventures. The main aim of the visit to Uzbekistan by the delegation led by Jeane-Pierre Rosso is to further develop the joint ventures' activities and to study projects relating to the manufacturing of components for equipment produced here.

To this end, the delegation's members left for Andizhan [in the east of Uzbekistan] today to find out about the work of the Uzdaewoo joint venture and the component-manufacturing enterprise.

Top

The Almalyk mining and metallurgical plant has already developed the technology and carried out the appropriate reconstruction to improve the quality of the concentrate, which is to contain up to 50 per cent of molybdenum. This will then enable the UzHRRP to produce powder and wire from pure molybdenum.

F. Tashmetov, director-general of the UzHRRM: "We are very glad about this project and are pinning great hopes on it. Most important of all, our side is to have an export-oriented product."

A. Rozenberg, president of the Metok company: "At present, we have completed the preparation of a financial package of documents for the enterprise. Equipment has been ordered and it is being built. I am proud to declare that after one year we will start to dispatch finished goods - high-quality molybdenum - all 100 per cent of it for export. On the other hand, this means new technologies and new jobs for Uzbekistan. We are satisfied with the cooperation in your country and are ready to launch new projects."

The joint venture will produce 600 tonnes of molybdenum a year and, at the same time, through roasting, obtain rare-earth metals - rhenium and osmium.

Top

ifferences in the Russian and Uzbek legislation as well as some commercial issues delay establishment of the Ilyushin interstate aircraft company, Yuriy Koptev, director general of the Russian Aviation and Space Agency, told the Military News Agency on Thursday [23 February].

Asked about the delay, Koptev said that commercial issues included disagreement as to the terms under which the Tashkent aircraft production association could join the holding. The decision to set up the company was taken in the mid-1990s with presidential approvals. Russia was to be represented by the Ilyushin design bureau, designer of the IL family, and the Voronezh aircraft production association, producer of IL-86 Camber and IL-96 passenger and transportation aircraft. The Uzbek side was to come up with the Tashkent aircraft production association, producer of IL-114 local and regional liners, and IL-76 Candid and IL-76MF military transports.

The parties agreed that Russian share in the holding would be not less than 51 per cent, which is a controlling block of stock. According to Koptev, to be able to set up the interstate company, the Tashkent association should be floated like the Russian enterprises. Russia cannot keep the Tashkent enterprise out of the holding, as it would take 80m US dollars and two years of strenuous work to start production of IL-76 and its variants in Voronezh, said Koptev.

Top