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German Company to Make Cosmetics From Kazakh Mare’s Milk

The German skincare company Zollmann Stutenmilch GmbH is looking to expand its range of products -- including some containing horse's milk from Kazakhstan's S-Agro-Borovskoe. In September 2023 the Kazakhs opened a farm for producing powdered mare's milk under the 'Local Food' brand in the Kostanay region, employing 150 people. "The German company has been breeding horses since the 1970s, and in 1990 started producing freeze-dried mare's milk. Its farm in the town of Mühlben is the largest and oldest enterprise in Germany specializing in the production of kymyz [mare's milk]. We signed an agreement for further cooperation in Germany," said the director of S-Agro-Borovskoe, Meiram Akhmetzhanov. Local Food's kymyz is produced on a farm equipped with an automated milking system that collects fresh milk in cooling tanks without contacting air, which prevents pathogenic bacteria from entering the product. The milk is then pasteurized, cooled and frozen in a freeze dryer to produce a 100% organic, dry product with a shelf life of up to two years -- a major improvement, considering that fresh mare's milk can only be stored for two hours. Hans Zollmann, founder of Zollmann Stutenmilch GmbH, emphasized that the Kazakh company has become an exclusive partner and explained that the new agreement will include the production of organic cosmetics based on mare's milk. "The signed agreement is a new stage of our cooperation with Kazakhstan, especially with Kostanay. We plan to produce [all the same products that] we produce in Germany here in Kazakhstan. I have devoted my whole life to the production of mare's milk and I believe that Kazakhstan has great opportunities in this area, as this drink is their national treasure," Zollmann added. The launch of Local Food cosmetics is scheduled for the third quarter of 2024, and will create an additional 30 jobs. In the future, S-Agro-Borovskoe is also considering the production of sports nutrition products, baby food and pharmaceutical supplements.

Kazakhstan business General Motors UzAuto Motors

Manufacture of Chevrolet Onix Cars Launched in Kazakhstan

March 14th marked the official beginning of CKD manufacture of Chevrolet Onix cars at the Allur plant in Kostanay, Kazakhstan. The launch was attended by Kanat Sharlapaev Minister of Industry and Construction of Kazakhstan and managers from both General Motors and UzAuto Motors, the Uzbek company that manufactures and sells Chevrolet cars in Uzbekistan. The opening was the long-awaited result of an agreement drawn up with General Motors and signed by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in December 2022. The Kazakh plant will produce 30, 000 vehicles per annum. State of the art robotic laser welding technology will ensure that manufacture meets General Motors' standards, and a plastic painting workshop, again featuring modern robotic equipment, is currently under construction. Work is also underway to establish the country's first Localization Centre for auto component production. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister Sharlapaev stated that collaboration with leading global manufacturer General Motors would dynamically spur the development of Kazakhstan’s automotive industry. Shilpan Amin, president of General Motors International, also applauded the initiative, saying, “We have managed to increase production to 50,000 vehicles per year. Kazakhstan now ranks seventh worldwide in terms of Chevrolet market size. This is a testament to our successful partnership.”

business Uzbekistan Afghanistan

Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Visits Afghanistan to Boost Economic Ties

On March 12th, a delegation led by Uzbekistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor Saidov visited Kabul to attend a meeting with officials of Afghanistan’s interim government: Acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, Acting Deputy Prime Minister Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi, Acting Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, and Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry Nooruddin Azizi. According to the Uzbek Foreign Ministry, discussions focused on boosting economic ties and creating more favourable conditions for both countries’ business sectors. In a broadcast by Afghan TOLOnews, the Afghan government stated that in addition to economic cooperation, regional connectivity and transit through Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, the meeting covered the opening of an Afghan embassy in Uzbekistan. Attention was also paid to the Uzbek delegation’s interest in investment in a cement factory, coal mining, and a project to produce 200 megawatts of electricity from coal in Afghanistan. Referencing the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, TOLOnews reported on a statement by Uzbekistan’s minister of water resources. Having outlined his country’s experience in manufacturing equipment for the construction of dams and canals, as well as water management at a regional level, the minister declared Uzbekistan’s readiness to cooperate with Afghanistan in these fields. The issue of transboundary water use had come to the fore last month following Afghanistan’s announcement that construction has begun on the second phase of the Qosh Tepa Canal.

business

Platform Supporting Female Entrepreneurs Launches In Uzbekistan

An online platform called Coozin has been introduced in Uzbekistan, with the goal of championing female entrepreneurs. Women can use Coozin to learn the fundamentals of business, sell their goods and services, network with other entrepreneurs, and find inspiration. The platform will also help Uzbekistan to achieve the UN's sustainable development goals. The Coozin initiative is the first in Uzbekistan to enable women to independently promote their businesses. It was coordinated with the help of the OSCE, IT-Park, and the Business Women's Association of Uzbekistan, as well as the the Coca-Cola Foundation.

Qatar business

President Rahmon Invites Qatari Business to Invest in Tajikistan

During his state visit to Qatar on January 22nd, the president of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, held negotiations in Doha with the emir of the state of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. During the meeting, it was proposed to launch joint transport-transit projects in order to expand the logistics networks between the two countries. This will facilitate the transportation of cargo and passengers, as well as transit to other countries, Rahmon’s press service reported. Also on January 22nd, Rahmon met with Qatar’s business community, expressing his views on a broad scope of cooperation opportunities with leading Qatari companies in the fields of agriculture, transport infrastructure, logistics, civil aviation, and tourism. The president emphasized that the government of Tajikistan is ready to support the proposals of investors to establish cooperation in these priority areas. In his speech to the Qatari business community, Rahmon spoke about the current economic situation in Tajikistan and the macroeconomic stability ensured in the country. The president said that Tajikistan’s GDP growth rate in the last 20 years has been more than 7% on average, and in 2023 reached 8.3%, while inflation was 3.8%. “Today, more than 720 public investment projects worth more than USD 13.8 billion are under implementation in our country.” Rahmon said that attracting investments is a priority for the Tajik government, and in this context, vast opportunities for investment have been created, and tax and customs incentives and guarantees are widely applied. According to Rahmon, Tajikistan’s aluminum production and lithium resources provide for favorable conditions for the production of electric vehicles. “That’s the two main types of materials for the production of electric cars available in our country,” he said. The president pointed out that industrial production can be another future direction of cooperation, adding that projects in the light industry, food, metallurgy, machine building, chemistry, production of construction materials and pharmaceuticals are a priority for Tajikistan. Rahmon also mentioned that Tajikistan is rich in mineral resources, with some 800 deposits of minerals, rare and precious metals, including copper, silver, gold, lead, lithium, antimony, nickel, tungsten, vanadium and other rare minerals having been discovered and partially prepared for mining in Tajikistan. The president added that the reserves of food salt in Tajikistan amount to more than 72 billion tons, which is sufficient to meet the consumption needs of all inhabitants of the planet for this product for more than 300 years.

business China

Forum Of Uzbek Regions And Chinese Provinces Held In Xinjiang

On January 22nd the first Uzbek-Chinese interregional forum was held in the city of Urumqi, in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The forum was attended by heads of key ministries, industry associations, chambers of commerce and industry, companies and more than 1,200 representatives of the business communities of the two countries. The Uzbek delegation at the forum was headed by deputy prime minister Jamshid Khojaev. The Chinese delegation was led by Ma Xingrui, secretary of the Party Committee of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. In their welcoming speeches, the heads of both delegations stated that Uzbek-Chinese relations have entered a qualitatively new stage, which became possible thanks to the far-sighted policies of the heads of the two states, the Uzbek Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade reported. The officials emphasized the positive dynamics of trade and investment partnership, with bilateral trade turnover having doubled and exceeding $14 billion over the past six years. It was noted that all the necessary capabilities are available to increase this indicator up to $20 billion in the coming years. The volume of utilized Chinese investments in Uzbekistan amounted to almost $15 billion. More than 2,000 enterprises with the participation of Chinese capital operate in Uzbekistan. In 2023 more than 60 projects worth almost $2 billion were successfully launched with the participation of Chinese companies, which are becoming leading partners in modernizing the country's industrial sector. Mr Khojaev and Mr Xingrui outlined the further steps to increase cooperation between the two countries, including through direct interaction between regions, emphasizing the importance of regularly holding exhibitions of the industrial and agricultural potential of the regions of Uzbekistan and the provinces of China. The heads of delegations called on business leaders to step up efforts to create high-tech industries based on the competitive advantages of the economies of the two countries, develop industrial cooperation to produce in-demand products and jointly develop new markets, as well as increase the volume of mutual trade. As a result of the forum, 27 documents were signed on the establishment of economic, trade and cultural ties between the regions of Uzbekistan and the provinces of China. In addition, a solid package of 30 agreements and contracts was signed between the business communities of the two countries.