Uzbek newspaper 'Khalq Sozi'
June 13

he Uzbek Macroeconomics and Statistics Ministry's joint board has held a meeting to discuss two draft programmes for the period up to 2010 - one for providing the population with employment and the other for the training of highly-skilled specialist personnel. These were drawn up on the basis of the country's strategic priorities for social and economic development, set by President Islam Karimov. The meeting was chaired by Minister Rustam Azimov, who is also a deputy prime minister and the head of the joint board.

The heads of the Labour and Social Security Ministry, the Macroeconomics and Statistics Ministry, the Central Bank and other economic government departments spoke on these subjects.

Special attention was paid to the question of whether the forecasts for creating new jobs and training specialists would be in agreement with structural reforms, development indices for economic sectors and the country's regions until 2010 and whether these would be financed in a balanced fashion.

The joint board approved the two programmes and decided to submit them to the Cabinet of Ministers.

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