| May 8-May 15, 1999 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Uzbeks end 1999 cotton sowing, aim for 4. mln. t
| |
|  zbekistan has completed this year's cotton
sowing campaign, leaving its production target unchanged at 4.0 million tonnes of
raw cotton, an agriculture ministry spokesman said on Thursday.
"Cotton has been sown on 1.502 million hectares," the spokesman said.
"Already we have decent growth on 1.400 million hectares. The farmers are
saying that this year the weather is better."
The key cash crop, which accounts for more than one third of all export earnings
for the impoverished Central Asian state, is in a better state than at the same time
last year, when heavy rains delayed the sowing campaign.
Around 310,000 hectares of cotton fields had to be resown this year, the
spokesman said, adding that plants were growing quickly over that area.
Uzbekistan produced a paltry 3.22 million tonnes of raw cotton in 1998, its
lowest crop in 20 years. The crop failure has increased pressure on already
limited access to hard currency in the mostly desert state of 24 million.
|
|
Uzbek president satisfied with results CIS Secretary visit
| |
|  resident Islam Karimov expressed
satisfaction with the results of CIS Executive Secretary Yuri Yarov's first visit to
Uzbekistan.
Meeting Yarov in the city's new residence, Karimov said Uzbekistan is ready to
implement the agreements reached during the recent CIS summit held in
Moscow.
Karimov also focused on reforms in the Commonwealth and its structures.
A well-informed source said that the interlocutors also considered prospects for
interaction between CIS states.
|
|
Uzbekistan gives exporters more privileges
| |
| zbekistan has ordered extra
privileges for exporters.
A government directive cuts profit tax by 30% for enterprises
exporting between 15% and 30% of their output.
Payment of value-added tax on imported goods used for making
products for export can be delayed for up to 90 days without any
interest levied.
A current rule that halves profit tax for enterprises exporting 30%
or more of their output remains in force, under the directive.
The Uzbek law sets the profit tax rate at between 10% and 33%.
Uzbekistan's 1999 budget puts incomes from profit tax at 89.8
billion sums ($772.5 million) or 16.4% of the total revenues.
The country's exports last year went down 21.2% to $3528.2 million.
The directive says the government has resorted to the measure with
the aim of "support for, and stimulation of, enterprises that
manufacture products for export so that the export forecast is fulfilled
and foreign currency revenues increase in 1999." It has also resulted to
this measure "in view of the financial crisis that has taken place in
several countries and regions of the world and has caused a fall in
world prices for individual types of raw material commodities and
products."
One U.S. dollar is worth 116.25 sums at Tuesday's official exchange
rate.
|
|
British Ambassador to end her mission
| |
|  ritish Ambassador to Uzbekistan Barbara Logan Hay held her last meeting with President Islam Karimov in this position. Her four-year in Uzbekistan term has ended. She came to Uzbekistan in 1995.
|
|
Uzbekistan celebrates May 9
| |
|  ince 1945 May 9 has always been celebrated by former Soviet states as the Day of Victory over fascism in the World War Two. Every year the holiday was held with military parades exhibiting the power of Soviets. Beginning this year May 9 in Uzbekistan - now an independent state - will be marked as the Day of Memory and Honors. Over a million Uzbeks fought during World War Two. Many were killed during the Russian Revolution in 1917 and Stalin's repressions in the late 30s. The president suggested that May 9 should be the day to honor all those who perished during these periods and who gave their lives for the liberty and prosperity. World War Two veterans, who in Uzbekistan account for only 70 thousand people today, don't feel discriminated that their holiday has been stolen. In the past the place of worship for World War Two veterans was an unknown soldier monument. Now across the country it was replaced by a monument of a grieving old Uzbek woman representing a mother who has lost her son or a husband in a war or in an injustice. Although 400 thousand Uzbeks died in the war half a century ago, people never knew their names. Now people will visit the Square of Remembrance to read their names engraved on marble plates. This place, these names and this day will always remind people of horrors of any war, tears of mothers and will be a warning to people that the history may repeat itself.
|
|
Bulgarian President in Uzbekistan
| |
| resident of Bulgaria Petr Stoyanov was in Uzbekistan on a two-day official visit. He returned President Karimov's official visit from June 23-25, 1998. This was his first visit to a Central Asian nation. President Stoyanov brought a large group of officials to Uzbekistan for negotiations. One of the mututal businesses in the Uzbek-Bulgarian releations is transportation. Uzbekistan hopes to use the Bulgarian sea port in Varna for export to Europe in the framework of TRACECA (Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasia-Asia) project, and Bulgaria can have access to the Central Asian and Asian markets via Uzbekistan. President Karimov said that TRACECA members should follow one customs tarrifs towards each other, therefore their leaders should have frequent meetings with each other to discuss a unique customs regulation. Speaking about trade relations with Bulgaria, President Karimov said that the trade volume in 1998 wasn't high enough - only 13 million dollars. President Stoyanov said that once TRACECA project is accomplished this figure would increase greatly. Bulgaria has no embassy in Central Asia, but as its president said it would open one soon, in Tashkent. An Embassy of Uzbekistan is also expected to open soon in Sofia. Petr Stoyanov also announced that Uzbekistan can own one of its resorts at the Black Sea for Uzbek children to spend their holiday. "They will also bring their parents, potential tourists. Negotiations ended with signing of a number of documents, including agreements on air flights and combat against organized crime. A flight between Tashkent and Bulgarian Burgas. Both sides also signed a protocol on the exchange of certificates on the ratification of an agreement on friendly relations and cooperation between Uzbekistan and Bulgaria. (Below is Xinhua news agency version) Uzbekistan is ready to open its market to Bulgaria, Bulgarian President Peter Stoyanov said when he returned from a two-day official visit to Uzbekistan. Stoyanov said his visit to Uzbekistan has been successful, adding that business people should take the chance to enter the Uzbek market to regain what has been lost in the last few years. The focus of the visit was restoring the Silk Route by carrying out the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia project. Uzbekistan will shortly be linked with China and thus a route running from China through Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia will lead to the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, Stoyanov said. Two agreements were signed during the visit, one on air transportation and the other on cooperation in fighting against organized crime. Stoyanov also met with Erkin Khalilov, Chairman of the Uzbek Parliament, and laid flowers at the Monument to Alisher Navoi in Tashkent. Answering a question, Stoyanov expressed his "most sincere and bitter sorrow" over the landing of a NATO missile near Sofia Friday and the NATO missile attack on the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade.
|
|
Kurash world champions known
| |
|  he capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, hosted the first ever kurash world championship. Kurash is an Uzbek wrestling that has existed in this part of the world for centuries. Athletes from 43 countries, including the United States, Russia, Iran and Turkey, visited Tashkent to try themselves in this ancient type of wrestling. Among them were European and World judo medalists. This year's competition was held in three weight categories: 73 and 90 kg as well as an open weight category. Uzbekistan was represented by its best judo and kurash wrestlers in all three categories. By the end of the first day, the first champion of the first Kurash world championship became known. To the great cheer of Uzbek fans, it was an Uzbek wrestler. In the 90 kg weight class, Komil Murodov defeated his countrymen, silver medalist of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Armen Bagdasarov.After two days of many exhausting matches, fans learned the names of winners in two remaining weight classes. For Uzbekistan, the host of the first world kurash championship and home of kurash, it was important that its athletes demonstrate high skills. And they did not let their fans down. After the remaining two pair of finalists consisted of Uzbek athletes, the doubt vanished that all three gold and silver medals would stay in Uzbekistan. Akobir Kurbonov and Toshtemir Muhammadiev won the their first kurash championship as well. Among bronze medalists were only two foreigners, wrestlers from Brazil. Kurash is a "belt wrestling." Wrestlers can catch each other by two hands or by one, lift and throw. No ground fighting, striking or kicking is allowed in kurash which makes it a just fight. Throws may be executed over the legs, but not by legs. Catching the legs is rare too. A fight is finished when, an opponent has to touch the ground with his shoulder.
|
|
Islamic University to open in Tashkent
| |
|  gnorance is the human's worst enemy. Religiously ignorant people are especially easy to be persuaded and taken advantage of. The Government of Uzbekistan believes that by educating its Muslims religious sciences, it protects them from being influenced by corrupt religious ideas. By celebrating anniversaries of its prominent ancestors like Imam Al-Bukhari, Ahmad Al-Ferghani or Amir Temur who lived in entirely Islamic societies, the Government and the President demonstrate to their people that the greatness and strength of these scholars were in their profound knowledge of both religious and secular sciences.
For this reason President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov signed a decree to create an Islamic University in the capital city Tashkent. Along with honoring its scholars from the Islamic renaissance period in the VIII and XI centuries, the opening of the Islamic University will greatly contribute to the study of Islam's real values and teachings. The University will officially open in September this year. It will teach only 100 students in two faculties: the faculty of Islamic history, philosophy and law and the faculty of natural sciences. The Islamic University will also have a scientific and research center on Islamic studies.
|
|
Uzbek tennis player demonstrates excellent skills
| |
| zbek tennis player Iroda Tulaganova, 18, won three consecutive tournaments - Japan Open, a women's tournament in Seoul and the Asian Championship in Hiroshima. At the end of May Iroda will play in French Open for women under 18. Currently Iroda is ranked 1st in Asia.
| E-mail me on: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||