Uzbekistan - The Times Of Central Asia

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Italy Proposes Project To Mitigate Climate Change Consequences In Aral Sea

On January 24th Italy’s deputy minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Edmondo Cirielli, and deputy minister for the environment and energy security, Vannia Gava, held a meeting with the ambassadors of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in Italy. At the meeting, the top management of SOGESID SPA, an engineering and specialized technical support company wholly owned by the Italian state, presented a project proposal to mitigate the consequences of climate change in the Aral Sea, an area of Central Asia at high risk of desertification. The project idea, which envisages targeted interventions for the integrated environmental regeneration of the Aral Sea basin, also falls within the framework of the Italian presidency of the EU-Central Asia High-Level Conference on Environment and Water, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said. During the meeting, it was also proposed to consider the involvement of the Italian Climate Fund, the main national public instrument for pursuing the objectives undertaken by Italy in the context of international agreements on climate and environment. The meeting also discussed issues of content for the upcoming meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs in the “Italy + Central Asia” format, which will be held in 2024 in Rome, the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry said.

President Mirziyoyev Meets Xi Jinping on State Visit to China

Late on Tuesday night, the President of Uzbekistan’s press service reported that the head of state's plane had landed at Shoudou International Airport, where he was greeted by China's Minister of Culture and Tourism, Sun Yeli and other officials. The president's state visit started on Wednesday with a meeting with the Premier of the State Council, Li Qiang, wherein they discussed the expansion of economic interaction, participation of Chinese companies in privatization in Uzbekistan, increasing the number of flights, and other issues. Many important points were raised at the meeting, such as the 50% increase in trade turnover between China and Uzbekistan over the past year, reaching $14 billion, and the volume of Chinese investment in the Uzbek economy exceeding this same figure. The two parties set their sights on making this figure reach $20 billion. As planned within the framework of the state visit, Mirziyoyev also held meetings with a number of major Chinese corporations important for Uzbekistan. Jin Liqun, President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), discussed the expansion of strategic partnership, Dai Houliang, Chairman of the CNPC oil and gas corporation, talked about the implementation of promising projects in Uzbekistan on the construction of underground gas storage facilities and modernization of gas transportation systems, drilling technologies and the training of specialists, and Xi Guohua, head of the Chinese corporation CITIC, discussed the expansion of the portfolio of joint projects. Mirziyoyev also received Wu Fulin, Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of China, to discuss the bank's plan to open a regional office in Tashkent and prepare new promising projects for the development of transport and social infrastructure, industry, and in the private sector. At the main event of the visit, Mirziyoyev and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a document which was described on President Mirziyoyev’s website as made possible by a "powerful breakthrough in bilateral relations" in recent years. The agreement includes cooperation in the field of environmental protection; technical and economic cooperation; cooperation in the development of human resources; cooperation between state scientific research institutions; cooperation in the field of teaching the Chinese language; a protocol on deepening cooperation on China-Central Asia-Europe railway and the development of cooperation in the field of new electric vehicles; cooperation in the field of poverty reduction; a protocol on further strengthening of scientific and technical cooperation; on cooperation in the field of standardization, etc. The two sides agreed to continue to comprehensively strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields and further enrich their strategic partnership.

Mirziyoyev, Chinese Premier Discuss Economic Cooperation

Uzbekistan’s president Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived in Beijing on January 23rd to begin a three-day state visit to China at the invitation of Chinese president Xi Jinping. On January 24th Mr Mirziyoyev had a meeting with the premier of the State Council of China, Li Qiang. The two parties discussed the trade and economic spheres, and both noted that Uzbek-Chinese relations have reached an unprecedented level in all areas, Mirziyoyev’s press service reported. Last year bilateral trade turnover grew by 50%, reaching $14 billion. The sides pointed out the potential for increasing this figure to $20 billion, including by increasing mutual supplies of high-quality agricultural and industrial goods. The total volume of Chinese investments in the economy of Uzbekistan currently exceeds $14 billion. The parties considered joint programs in the fields of infrastructure modernization, technology transfer in agriculture, and the development of green energy. They also discussed the potential for companies in Uzbekistan to cooperate more closely with leading Chinese banks and financial institutions, as well as the participation of Chinese companies in privatization processes in Uzbekistan. The parties also spoke for further expansion of air traffic and tourism initiatives between the two countries. Mr Mirziyoyev also met with the chairman of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), Dai Houliang, to discuss new projects to construct underground natural-gas storage facilities in Uzbekistan and to modernize its gas transportation systems. The introduction of modern drilling technologies and the training of oil and gas workers was also discussed.

USAID Delivers 131 Tons Of Food Aid To Uzbekistan

On January 23rd the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) delivered 131 tons of food aid to Uzbekistan. This will provide 6.5 million meals to citizens with tuberculosis and mental health problems, children with disabilities, and senior citizens, the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan said. Speaking at the handover ceremony, USAID's mission director in Uzbekistan David Hoffman said: “This program demonstrates the strong ongoing partnership between Uzbekistan and the United States of America to improve nutrition and ensure that the most vulnerable have adequate, safe and nutritious food to support a healthy and productive life.” Since 2010, USAID’s International Food Relief Partnership program has delivered over 1,500 tons of food aid to Uzbekistan, worth more than $4.4 million, through USAID’s partners, the U.S. non-profit organization Resource and Policy Exchange and a Tashkent-based non-profit organization, Sog’lom Avlod Uchun. This latest humanitarian delivery to Uzbekistan builds on more than $122 million in long-term U.S. investment in health and over $1 billion in total aid over the past 20 years, the embassy said.

Uzbekistan, AIIB Sign Three-Year Investment Program

As part of his state visit to China, on January 24th Uzbekistan president Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the headquarters of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Beijing and held talks with the bank's president, Jin Liqun. The sides announced that cooperation between Uzbekistan and AIIB has reached unprecedented levels in recent years, with the portfolio of joint projects exceeding $3 billion. In 2023 alone the bank’s investments in Uzbek projects reached $1 billion, financing energy, water supply, reconstruction of roads and railway, and business development. Mr Mirziyoyev advocated increasing financing for projects involving strategic raw materials, and the implementation of socially important programs on the principles of public-private partnership, his press service reported. During the meeting, Mr Liqun reaffirmed his bank’s strategic commitment to supporting Uzbekistan's sustainable growth. The two leaders signed a three-year investment program, with the goal of further supporting Uzbekistan’s development in multiple sectors across the country, AIIB said. In 2023, AIIB announced that it would hold its 2024 Annual Meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on September 25th-26th, marking the first time AIIB would hold its flagship event in Central Asia. AIIB is a multilateral development bank which began operations in Beijing in January 2016 and has since grown to 109 approved members worldwide.

Violence Against Migrants: Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan Appeal to Russia

Regarding the mistreatment of labor migrants who were made to walk like ducks in Yekaterinburg, the ombudsman of Uzbekistan filed an appeal with the ombudsman of Russia. The number of them who were Uzbek citizens was not stated. A case was started “at the level of Russian federal authorities” by Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On January 17, workers at a construction site in Yekaterinburg, Russia, were forced to walk like ducks during a raid by representatives of the Federal Security Service, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Rosguard, and the Prosecutor’s Office. Approximately 150 people’s documents were examined during the raid. Which country or countries they are citizens of is unclear. Ombudsman Feruza Eshmatova of Uzbekistan appealed to Ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova of Russia about the unfair treatment of labor migrants in Yekaterinburg. The press office of the parliamentarian’s human rights representative released this information on January 22. In the petition, it was asked that the rights of Uzbek nationals employed in Russia be upheld. Online images and videos depict security personnel compelling migrant laborers to hide as they navigate a snow-covered construction site. The number of migrants who were Uzbek citizens was not stated. There were reportedly also citizens from other nations, including Kyrgyzstan. According to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the republic’s general consulate in Yekaterinburg paid a visit to the police, the center for temporary detention of foreign nationals, and construction sites on January 20. “It was discovered that three construction sites in Yekaterinburg had 150 foreigners’ documents examined, among them were 40 Kyrgyz citizens. There are no known instances of Kyrgyzstani citizens breaking the immigration laws, according to the report. According to the information provided by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, three of the migrants who were forced to walk like ducks were Kyrgyz. According to the message from the neighboring country’s MFA, the Consulate General of Kyrgyzstan is taking action to “organize the verification of the legality of the use of methods that degrade the dignity of citizens engaged in labor by law enforcement officers”. The statement from the Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs states, “In light of this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic is initiating a case at the level of the federal authorities of the Russian Federation in order to prevent such actions against citizens working from Kyrgyzstan”.