TCA
TASHKENT (TCA) — The second International Forum is planned to be held in Tashkent on February 5-6 for discussing proposals on the concept of the Strategy for long-term development of Uzbekistan, the Jahon information agency reports.
TCA
URUMQI (TCA) — Diplomatic envoys from 12 countries — Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Thailand, and Kuwait — visited China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the last days of December at the invitation of the regional government to witness the social and economic progress in this northwestern region, China’s Xinhua news agency reported on January 8.
The diplomats visited local markets, farms, educational institutions, mosques, factories, as well as vocational education and training centers.
Throughout the trip, they interacted with local vendors, students, and workers in Xinjiang and learned about the region’s progress in maintaining social stability, improving people’s livelihood and developing local economy, Xinhua reported. They said they expected to cooperate with China’s Xinjiang in the fields of culture, tourism, economy and trade.
In Kashgar, the diplomatic envoys also visited a local economic development zone.
The diplomatic envoys also visited Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar, the largest mosque in Xinjiang, and were briefed on the mosque and its facility improvements.
During the visit to a vocational training center in Hotan, Manarbek Kabaziyev, Counselor of the Kazakhstan Embassy in China, said that students master vocational skills here through training and make a living with these skills later in their life, which shows that the Chinese government truly cares about these trainees.
The envoys also visited a clothing factory in Hotan, where villagers who have received training work on the assembly lines. According to the factory owner, they receive a monthly salary of more than 3,000 yuan (438 US dollars).
This comes amid reports in western media saying that Chinese authorities in Xinjiang have launched a massive indoctrination and detention campaign, sending hundreds of thousands and possibly more than 1 million people into internment camps that Beijing describes as “reeducation” centers.
Former detainees have said they were forced to renounce their culture and religious beliefs and were subjected to political indoctrination, RFE/RL reported.
The detention of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other ethnic minorities at the camps has been a sensitive subject in neighboring Kazakhstan, a mostly Muslim country of 18 million people.
China is a major trading partner for Astana, and Kazakhstan’s state-controlled media has generally avoided reporting about the internment camps.
But pressure for action has increased following international media coverage of the issue.
TCA
BISHKEK (TCA) — The decision to delay the presidential election in Afghanistan by three months was influenced by the United States, which seeks to manipulate the voting process in the country to its own benefit, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on January 10, Sputnik news agency reported.
TCA
ASTANA (TCA) — The Kazakh Partnership for Peace Training Centre (KAZCENT) recently received approval from the United Nations (UN) to train peacekeepers from around the world in the “Protection of Civilians” and “UN Headquarters Staff Officers” courses, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said.
TCA
TASHKENT (TCA) — The President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has said that 2019 will be a turning point in tourism development in the country. He said this at the meeting devoted to implementation of investment projects, held on January 8, the Jahon information agency reported.
TCA
TASHKENT (TCA) — A video-conference meeting on the issues of accelerating the implementation of investment projects scheduled for the current year was held on January 8 under the chairmanship of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the official information agency Jahon reported.
It was attended by members of the government, khokims (governors) of the regions and the city of Tashkent, and heads of diplomatic missions of the country abroad.
An active investment policy is among the most important conditions for achieving stable economic development. In this regard, at the initiative of the President, 2019 was declared the Year of Active Investments and Social Development in Uzbekistan.
The Investment Program for 2019 includes more than 3 thousand projects worth 16.6 billion USD. This is 16 percent more than in 2018. In particular, within its framework it is planned to commission 140 production facilities worth 3.2 billion USD.
At the meeting, it was noted that as a result of active work with foreign countries and investors, foreign direct investment accounts for 25 percent of their total volume. In particular, this year it is planned to allocate 4.2 billion USD within the framework of 320 projects involving foreign direct investment.
The President noted that the most important task of the government should become the unconditional implementation of projects involving foreign direct investment, providing comprehensive assistance to foreign investors.
The meeting paid special attention to implementation of regional projects through foreign direct investment.
Last year, more than 1 billion USD of investments were spent in the regions and 133 new enterprises were put into operation.
This year, it is planned to implement 209 regional projects involving foreign direct investment and to attract 1.9 billion USD, or twice as much as last year.
The President said that for further intensifying the attraction of investors, it is necessary at least once a year to hold investment forums in each region with participation of foreign investors, as well as to ensure participation of domestic entrepreneurs in large international investment forums abroad. The State Investment Committee and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been instructed to form schedules for holding investment forums in the regions this year.
At the meeting, a task was set to create a Fund for Foreign Investors Support in Uzbekistan based on international experience.
This year it is planned to attract direct loans from foreign banks in the total amount of 740 million USD by commercial banks of the country. At the meeting, the need for strengthening activities on attracting foreign direct credit resources with low interest rates and a long maturity date was emphasized.
