Uzbekistan International Affairs - The Times Of Central Asia

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UN General Assembly Adopts Uzbekistan-Initiated Resolution on Forest Management

The UN General Assembly last week adopted Uzbekistan's proposed resolution on “Fostering sustainable forest management, including afforestation and reforestation, in degraded lands, including drylands, as an effective solution to environmental challenges.” The resolution is based on the concept of Uzbekistan’s nationwide program, Yashil Makon (Green Space), which aims to preserve and restore biodiversity through the greening of urban and rural areas. Launched by Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in November 2021, the Yashil Makon initiative allows the planting of one billion trees and shrub saplings across the country over five years. The resolution reflects the key proposals on effectively countering climate change and combating land degradation, voiced by Mirziyoyev during the 78th session of the General Assembly and the 28th UN Climate Change Conference. The resolution discloses the economic, social, and environmental benefits of sustainable forest management and tree planting, emphasizing their contribution to increasing biodiversity, mitigating the effects of climate change and air pollution, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including poverty eradication and food security. The resolution gives specific recommendations to UN member states regarding tree planting to preserve and increase biodiversity using nature-saving and ecosystem methods.

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Uzbekistan and Afghanistan to Increase Trade Turnover to $3 Billion

The government portal of the Republic of Uzbekistan has reported that on August 17, a delegation led by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Abdulla Aripov, visited Afghanistan. President Mirziyoyev has previously stated that no positive result can be achieved without establishing an international dialogue with the current government in Afghanistan. In a special resolution of the United Nations General Assembly adopted in 2022 at Mirziyoyev's initiative, it was recognized that Afghanistan has a special place in establishing relations between Central Asia and South Asia. As the report states, Uzbekistan was one of the first to establish a constructive and mutually acceptable dialogue with the interim government of Afghanistan. During the meetings, the development of trade relations with Afghanistan, the promotion of effective cooperation in the field of energy to a new level, the implementation of joint development projects in copper, iron, oil and gas fields, transport and logistics, agriculture and water management, education, and further development of inter-regional relations were discussed. It was also noted that there are possibilities to increase mutual trade turnover to $1 billion this year, and to $3 billion shortly after. It was reported that agreements on the protection of bilateral investments and preferential trade would give great impetus to the further development of trade and economic cooperation. Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director of the Central Asia International Institute, Vladimir Norov, wrote on LinkedIn that 35 contracts with a total value of $2.5 billion were signed between the government of Uzbekistan and the Taliban. "They were signed yesterday in the presence of Taliban Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Abdul-Ghani Baradar and Uzbek Prime Minister, Abdulla Aripov. Of these, 12 documents are investment documents worth $1.4 billion, and 13 are trade documents worth $1.1 billion. Uzbekistan will train 100 Afghan railway specialists and accept 500 Afghan students for a grant work that has begun to simplify the issuance of visas to Uzbekistan for Afghan students and businessmen," Norov wrote. One of the main announcements was the introduction of a Preferential Trade Agreement, which will come into effect on October 1, 2024. This agreement will eliminate import duties on 14 different products, simplify the process for exporters, and increase trade flow between the two countries. To further support cross-border trade, the Ayritom-Khayraton border post has switched to 24-hour working hours starting August 1, 2024. Previously, The Times of Central Asia reported that the Uzbek side has finished repairing the Naibabad railway station in Afghanistan.

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Uzbekistan Brings Home Citizens Convicted Abroad

On August 13, Uzbekistan amended its Code of Criminal Procedure to compel Uzbekistan's citizens who have been imprisoned for crimes in certain foreign countries to serve the rest of their sentences in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan has so far signed agreements with only 10 countries for imprisoned persons to be transferred to prisons in Uzbekistan to continue serving their sentences. According to Sherzod Tokhtashev, a politician from the government-aligned Miliy Tiklanish (National Revival) party, this law does not concern Uzbeks currently imprisoned in Russia. He did however mention that there are separate appeals in parliament to return Uzbek nationals convicted of crimes in Russia to domestic jails. At the same time, there are also calls for these prisoners' families to be brought home. “We receive requests to return children and relatives of Uzbeks from Russian prisons to Uzbekistan. Due to the lack of an agreement with Russia on the exchange of prisoners, everyone is helpless,” said Tokhtashev. According to Uzbek government, 20 citizens of Uzbekistan are currently serving terms in Italy, 250 in Turkey, and more than 450 in Kazakhstan.

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Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan Explore Use of ID Cards at Border Crossings

Abdulaziz Kamilov, the special representative of the President of Uzbekistan on foreign policy issues, has announced that Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are discussing a way for citizens of both countries to cross the state border using national ID cards. According to Kamilov, Uzbekistan has completed the legal formalization of the border with Kazakhstan and demarcated the border with Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Referencing the reactivation of dozens of border checkpoints which have significantly facilitated the movement of people across the region, he stressed, “Today, the borders between Uzbekistan and the countries of Central Asia can rightly be called a bridge of friendship and good neighborliness. This is also confirmed by the fact that starting from September 1, 2023, the procedure for crossing the Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan border with the presentation of an internal document — a citizenship certificate — has been introduced. The same project is being discussed with Kazakhstan." Komilov also noted President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's proposal at Astana summit, of developing mass tourism in Central Asia based on the mutual recognition of national ID cards.

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U.S. Companies Seek Export Opportunities in Uzbekistan

According to a recent report, the U.S. State Department is in regular receipt of applications from U.S. companies in search of opportunities to export their products to Uzbekistan's markets. “Our products likewise require review and certification for import into Uzbekistan, so expediting that process would help U.S. agricultural and livestock products reach Uzbek consumers. U.S. suppliers of technologies, industrial equipment, and manufactured goods are also actively bidding on public procurement opportunities and working with partners in Uzbekistan,” explained a spokesperson for the department. The USA's readiness to help Uzbekistan implement the announced reform program, including economic issues was noted. Referencing the significant improvements in the investment climate created by recent economic reforms and the potential of further reforms to attract more investment and technical expertise to Uzbekistan, the department emphasized: “Generally speaking, we welcome and encourage multilateral efforts to support regional connectivity in Central Asia and the South Caucasus westward to Europe. Such efforts create a more secure, resilient, and prosperous region.” The U.S. State Department also noted that through the regional trade activities of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Central Asia, the US is helping to increase the competitiveness of trade, entrepreneurship, e-commerce, and the private sector. As stated in the report, “Through the Partnership for Global Infrastructure, the U.S. is currently evaluating potential areas for infrastructure investment where it could contribute project advisory technical assistance, project preparation, and financing to tangibly move forward strategic projects in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.”

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Uzbekistan and UAE to Build Modern Wastewater Facility

The United Arab Emirates company “Sustainable Water Solutions” (SWS) is to cooperate with Uzbekistan on the construction of a modern wastewater facility in Tashkent. The project includes building a facility with a daily capacity of 1.0 million cubic meters of water and a 42-kilometer wastewater collector in the territory of the Surum mahalla, an administrative centre in Tashkent's Lower Chirchik district. Regarding the scheme, Ahmed Al-Shamsi, head of the SWS company announced: “Our next initiative will prevent water wastage in Uzbekistan. The capacity of the joint facility will be 1,000,000 cubic meters per day at the first stage and 1.5 million cubic meters later. The estimated project cost is one billion dollars." According to reports, the quality of wastewater service provided to 1.5 million people will increase, and more than 500,000 residents and over a hundred enterprises and organizations will be provided with centralized wastewater service. The construction of a 42-kilometer collector allows efficient collection and transportation of wastewater for further treatment. SCADA, a data management and collection system, and GIS,a geographic information system, will be introduced, ensuring effective monitoring and management of cleaning and transportation processes. As a result of this large-scale project, 10 million kilowatts of electricity will be saved, and the sanitary-epidemiological and ecological situation in the Sergeli, Bektemir, and Yangi Hayot districts of Tashkent city will be improved.