Uzbekistan International Affairs - The Times Of Central Asia

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Investigation into ISIS-linked Group Smuggling Uzbek Migrants into the U.S.

The US Department of Homeland Security is investigating a cross-border group that smuggled more than 400 migrants into the country in connection with ISIS, CNN reported. Officials said the group claimed it was smuggling migrants into the country, not terrorists. However, another criminal organization related to this group was “blacklisted” last summer due to its links with ISIS. This led to all those associated being added to the list of suspects. It has been confirmed that the group being investigated for its ties to ISIS, brought more than 400 people to the United States. The majority were citizens of Central Asia, and particularly, Uzbekistan. In a press report issued on June 26, Secretary of Internal Security of the United States, Alejandro Mayorkas stated that no evidence had been found regarding connections between the 400 migrants and ISIS. However, it was noted that the group that brought them into the country may have provided indirect support to the terrorist organization. Over the past month, the United States has intensified checks on immigrants from Central Asian countries such as Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In recent raids, eight citizens of Tajikistan were arrested on suspicion of being connected to terrorist groups. The state leadership has been tasked to determine whether citizens of Uzbekistan are associated with criminal groups.

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Life & Culture Uzbekistan International Affairs

New Industrial Zone Launched with Chinese Investment in Uzbekistan

On June 27, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev launched the construction of the first project in the Technopark special industrial zone in the Zaamin district of Jizzakh. Chinese investors have allocated a total $1.2 billion towards the realization of 30 projects in the new Technopark. Located on 400 hectares of land, the Technopark will comprise facilities to produce goods with high added value and import-substituting products to meet demands from foreign markets, with particular focus on electrical and mechanical engineering, building materials, furniture, food, and services industries. The initiative will create over 5,000 jobs and produce $70 million worth of goods for export. The Technopark will also provide an International Center for the Exchange of Experience and Engineering, to provide training in specialized skills required by industrial enterprises. Other facilities include an office complex, residential buildings, an eco-park, a large exhibition hall and a shopping center. Apart from the Technopark, Zaamin has recently created a zone to develop its services to tourism which is fast becoming a major driver in the scenic region’s economy.

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Business & Economy Uzbekistan International Affairs

First Electric Vehicles Roll Off China’s BYD Assembly Line in Uzbekistan

On June 27, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev joined his Chinese partners in witnessing the start of production of electric vehicles at the BYD Uzbekistan Factory in Jizzakh. The visit marked the completion of first phase of the project which will have the capacity to manufacture 50,000 electric vehicles per year. Costing $160 million, the plant is furnished with modern equipment and robotic systems from China, as well as a laboratory for high-precision testing of the geometric dimensions of electric vehicles. The plant currently manufactures the Chazor and Song Plus Champion and President Mirziyoyev left his signature on the first electric car that rolled off the assembly line. In the coming years, the range of models will expand. During the second phase, costing $300 million, manufacture will increase to up to 200 thousand electric vehicles per year, and in the third stage, at a further cost of $500 million, up to 500 thousand vehicles. In tandem with the rising volume of vehicles produced at the plant, local production of related parts will also increase. Starting with bumpers, glass, varnished and plastic parts, plans are in place to establish new enterprises to produce batteries, electric motors, aluminium parts, tires, and seats. The plant currently employs 1.2 thousand people and once all three stages are complete, the number of jobs will reach 10 thousand.

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Mirziyoyev Discusses Cooperation with Russian Minister of Internal Affairs

On June 25, Shavkat Mirziyoyev received the Russian Minister of Internal Affairs, Vladimir Kolokolsev, who was in Uzbekistan on a business visit, the president’s press service has reported. At the outset of the meeting, Mirziyoyev expressed his condolences and words of encouragement to the family members of the law enforcement officers who died in the recent terrorist attack in Dagestan. During the meeting, the practical implementation of agreements between the two countries was high on the agenda. Current aspects of cooperation in the fight against terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, organized crime, cyber security and digital expertise were discussed. Particular attention was paid to the issue of increasing the effectiveness of cooperation mechanisms in the field of migration. On the same day, Ziroat Mirziyoyeva, the First Lady of Uzbekistan and chairman of the board of trustees of the Zamin Foundation, met with Hans Kluge, the director of the European regional office of the World Health Organization. At the meeting, issues of cooperation between the World Health Organization and the Zamin Foundation on improving children's medical services, including those suffering from oncological diseases, their rehabilitation, and the development of palliative care in Uzbekistan were discussed. Special attention was paid to developing and improving environmental protections, including the involvement of international experts in developing international air quality and drinking water quality standards.

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Business & Economy Uzbekistan International Affairs

Uzbekistan and Mongolia to Develop Multifaceted Cooperation

On June 24, the first state visit of President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh opened a new page in the development of Uzbek-Mongolian relations. Following negotiations in Taskent between President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, on deepening trade and economic cooperation, plans were announced to increase bilateral trade 5 to 10-fold in the coming years. The two leaders tasked their governments to create a joint working group on increasing trade turnover, opening official trading houses in Ulaanbaatar and Tashkent, preparing an Agreement on Preferential Trade, and instigating proposals for simplifying access to both countries’ markets. President Mirziyoyev proposed adopting a medium-term Industrial Cooperation Program, with priority given to identifying partnership in geological exploration, development, and processing of raw materials. In addition, it was mooted that comprehensive cooperation be established in agriculture and related industries and plans were discussed on the launch of large joint livestock complexes in Karakalpakstan, Namangan, and other regions of Uzbekistan. Proposals have already been prepared for the import of meat and related processed products from Mongolia, and in return, poultry meat, fruit, vegetables and other agricultural products from Uzbekistan. Negotiations concluded with an agreement to prepare a roadmap for the implementation of the above. The Mongolian president’s visit also included an Uzbek-Mongolian business forum attended by heads of ministries, government agencies, industry associations, and over 150 representatives from leading companies of both countries. As reported by the Uzbek Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade, the forum identified several prospective avenues for increasing trade and economic partnerships in mining, agriculture, construction materials, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, food, and banking. Initiatives for the joint exploration of new rare metal and basalt deposits, as well as the creation of joint livestock and agro-clusters aimed at exporting produce were earmarked as particularly promising. Dashzeveg Enkhtuvshin, President of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Mongolia, lauded the potential for expanding trade, investment, and industrial collaboration between the two countries, and encouraged entrepreneurs to intensify their interactions and pursue ambitious joint ventures.

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Uzbekistan to Present Silk Roads Exhibition at British Museum

An exhibition dedicated to The Silk Roads will open at the British Museum in September 2024. Great Britain's grandest museum will show artefacts from Uzbekistan's museum collections. Exhibits will include one of the world's oldest chess pieces, and a monumental wall painting from the Hall of Ambassadors in Samarkand's ancient quarter, Afrosiyab. The Foundation for the Development of Culture and Art of Uzbekistan will present 14 exhibits from the Samarkand State Museum and the State Museum of Art of Uzbekistan. Among them will be a wall painting of the Red Hall of the Varakhsh Palace, an ossuarium with a lid, a silver dish with Sogdian inscriptions, a jug from Kafir-Kala, and other unique archaeological finds, demonstrating the importance of Central Asia in the history of the Silk Road. "Massive in scope and vast in geographical coverage, the Silk Roads exhibition will demonstrate how the movement of people, objects, and ideas along the Silk Roads helped shape culture and history. The project will focus on the defining period of their history, from 500 to 1000 AD," a statement from the culture foundation explains. The Silk Roads exhibition will be on view at the Sainsbury Exhibition Gallery at the British Museum from 26 September 2024 to 23 February 2025.