Category: News

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On April 23 in Samarkand, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received a delegation of the Russian Federation headed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov, currently on a working visit to our country.

At the beginning of the meeting, the distinguished guest conveyed sincere greetings and best wishes of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to the Head of our state.

In the course of the conversation, topical issues of further strengthening Uzbek-Russian relations of friendship, comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance in the context of practical implementation of the agreements at the highest level were discussed.

Active contacts and fruitful exchanges in all areas have been noted with satisfaction. The volumes of trade turnover and investments are growing. Cooperation between regions and leading industrial enterprises is strengthening. Collaboration in the fields of culture, art, science, education, health care, sports and tourism is expanding.

There was also an exchange of views on aspects of the regional and international agenda of mutual interest.

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On April 23, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived in the city of Samarkand.

Today, the Head of our state will hold a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov.

In the afternoon, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the national leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan, will pay a visit to our country. Talks between the leaders and a number of events with their participation are planned.

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On April 22, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed the results of work in the electrical industry for the first quarter of this year and the main tasks for the coming period.

The industry is rightfully considered one of the drivers of Uzbekistan’s industrial growth. Over the past seven years, the volume of exports has increased 7 times, and the geography of supplies has expanded to 63 countries. Currently, about 500 enterprises operate in the sector, employing more than 27 thousand of our compatriots.

In order to further build up the potential of the industry, the decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On additional measures to raise the electrical industry to a new stage of development” was adopted on January 22 this year. In accordance with the document, measures have been taken to stimulate production of high value-added products, attract investments and international brands, develop experimental and design works.

In the first quarter of this year, the production volume in the industry exceeded 7 trillion soums. Exports amounted to almost $310 million, increasing by 1.3 times.

During this period $55 million of investments were utilized, of which $48 million were foreign direct investments and loans.

A package of projects worth $900 million has been formed for the production of demanded products under foreign brands. Works on harmonization of technical processes and introduction of necessary technologies are underway.

During the presentation the key tasks for the second quarter and till the end of the year were outlined.

In particular, this year it is planned to increase production volume to 43 trillion soums, localize products worth about 5 trillion soums. 71 projects totaling $656 million will be implemented with the creation of 4.6 thousand jobs. Exports are expected to reach $1.7 billion, and the geography of supplies will expand to 70 countries.

The Head of our state emphasized the importance of choosing the right trajectory of development of the electrical industry in the context of global economic fluctuations and the need to promptly adapt to market requirements. The relevance of deepening localization, production of products with high added value, as well as training of qualified personnel capable of working effectively with modern technologies was noted.

The responsible managers have been instructed to establish close cooperation with each enterprise of the industry, promptly resolve emerging issues in industrial and logistic chains, as well as diversify the export geography and actively develop new markets. 

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At the invitation of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov will pay a visit to the city of Samarkand on April 23-24.

The agenda of the scheduled talks includes further strengthening of Uzbek-Turkmen relations of strategic partnership and expanding multifaceted cooperation, primarily in political, interparliamentary, trade and economic, transport and communication, cultural and humanitarian spheres.

An exchange of views on the topical issues of regional and international agenda will also take place.

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President Shavkat Mirziyoyev got acquainted with the presentation on implementing projects in chemical industry and plans on diversifying the sector.

As a result of the ongoing reforms, market mechanisms have been introduced in the industry and wide access to investment has been opened. Three chemical clusters have been established in Navoi, Fergana and Kungrad, as well as two technology parks in Chirchik and Jizzakh to expand the production chain. The Kokand superphosphate plant has undergone complete modernization.

Over the past five years, 23 new enterprises have been put into operation, and more than 4, thousand jobs have been created. International brands have entered the industry, and production of low-tonnage products has been established. As a result, the volume of production in the chemical industry has increased 1.5 times.

During the presentation the Head of State was informed about the work accomplished and plans for the current year. It was noted that in the first quarter $181 million of investments were utilized, three projects worth $39 million were put into operation.

In the second quarter by attracting another $170 million of foreign investments it is planned to complete the construction and launch the enterprises for the production of “green” hydrogen and cyanide salts.

The digitalization of the industry and its increased integration with related sectors will continue. Additional modules will be introduced in the unified treasury system of chemical plants, and 15 key economic indicators of the enterprises will be displayed on the “Single Digital Platform”.

Special attention is paid to energy efficiency issues. The need to reduce production costs through energy saving and efficient use of production facilities was emphasized.

It was pointed out that there is a significant untapped potential. The demand for chemical products in the domestic market is growing rapidly, while the unstable situation in the world markets requires new approaches.

In this regard, measures for structural transformation of the industry, deepening localization and increasing added value were discussed. 

Responsible persons were tasked to develop a new program for the development of the chemical industry, considering modern requirements and economic forecasts, with a focus on diversification of the industry through the development of new areas for manufacturing products with high added value.

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On April 21, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation on measures to improve the quality of school education and pedagogical staff training system.

The “Uzbekistan – 2030” strategy identifies reforming the education system as one of the priority areas. The state program for this year also outlines a wide range of tasks to improve conditions in schools and raise an educated young generation.

The fulfillment of these goals depends to a large extent on the level of knowledge and professional training of teachers. Today there are 15 state and 61 non-state higher education institutions with a pedagogical profile in the country. However, the scientific potential of these institutions is only about 40 percent.

Social specialties account for the majority of training areas, while teacher training in exact and natural sciences remains at a low level. In addition, 40 percent of the students are part-time students.

In this regard, it is planned to transform the Tashkent State Pedagogical University and establish the National Pedagogical University of Uzbekistan, as well as to implement the “Teachers of the Future” project.

The “New Uzbekistan” University currently employs more than 40 foreign teachers and 30 highly qualified compatriots invited from abroad. Various projects of students have attracted 24.3 billion soums in grants. By utilizing their potential, the training of specialists in modern fields such as engineering, digital technology, artificial intelligence and medicine will be strengthened with the opening of new laboratories.

Moreover, in order to ensure the integration of science, education and practice, the university plans to create a modern university clinic using advanced German experience.

International methods are being introduced to assess the quality of education. This year, the knowledge of 9 thousand 15-year-old students from 233 schools will be tested within the framework of the international PISA program.

Currently, two thousand schools are working with high workload. This year 112 thousand new pupil places will be created at the expense of budget funds. Due to population growth, the demand for schools continues to grow. In this regard, it is planned to attract $200 million from the Islamic Development Bank and build 58 modern schools in the regions.

According to the results of the analysis, about 80 percent of schoolchildren actively use the Internet and social networks. Although measures are taken to protect children from harmful information, there are very few authors creating interesting and educational national content.

In this regard, instructions were given to create a safe information environment for children, increase the volume of national content and support talented authors.

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President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was reported on the progress of accomplishing tasks in the sphere of energy and implementing new projects.

With an aim to meet the growing demand of the population in energy resources a large number of projects are implemented annually. As a result of these efforts in the past 5 years the volume of electricity production was increased by 30% and reached 81,5 billion kilowatt hour.

According to the calculations by 2035 the electricity use in our country will reach 121 billion kilowatt hour. In this regard measures on developing all areas of energy are taken today already. By 2030 the share of “green” energy of the total generation volumes is planned to bring to 54%.

Hydropower and nuclear energy are considered to be the most promising areas.

In particular, 2,983 micro-hydro power plants with a total capacity of 167 megawatts are planned to be built in 2025-2026. These facilities will generate 500 million kilowatt hours of clean energy annually and save 151 million cubic meters of natural gas. During the construction phase, 1,200 people will be employed and 520 permanent staff will be employed after commissioning.

The minister of energy provided information on the projects planned for the current year. This year it is planned to put into operation 1,185 micro-hydropower plants with a total capacity of 65 megawatts, most of which will be implemented at the expense of entrepreneurs.

There are also plans to use nuclear power as one of the base sources in the future. Currently, work is underway on a project to build a low-power nuclear power plant. All stages – from design to launch – will take place under strict control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with the application of the world’s best practices and safety requirements.

The head of “Uzatom” Agency reported on the agreements reached, the progress of negotiations and project implementation.
Instructions were given on timely commissioning of the facilities and provision of additional energy to the population and sectors of the economy.

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President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev got acquainted with the activities of “Fayz-M” enterprise located in Bulakbashi district of Andijan region.

Special attention is paid to deep processing of resources and creating goods with added value in our country. This enterprise is one of the largest projects with full-cycle production of textile goods.

Here 4,2 million goods of more than 50 types are produced annually. Almost a thousand people are ensured jobs. Particular attention is paid to capacity building of employees – a design center is created for this purpose.

Modern equipment from Türkiye, Germany and China ensures high productivity and quality of production. Majority of the ready-made clothes is export-oriented. The annual export potential is $6 billion.

The Head of State viewed the production process and manufactured goods. Recommendations were given on further increasing the quality and added value, and expanding export geography.

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On April 15, a meeting on the issues of socio-economic development of Andijan region was held under the chairmanship of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Bulakbashi district. 

It was noted that the spirit of New Uzbekistan reaches every district and every mahalla in Andijan. Last year over 4 thousand new entrepreneurs started operations in the region. Employment of 450 thousand people was ensured.

1.5 million square meters of housing and 850 thousand square meters of non-residential facilities were built in the region. Owing to this, last year the volumes of trade and services grew by 13 percent, industry – by 7.5 percent.

However, life does not stand still. There are great economic opportunities, new projects and initiatives in Andijan.

At the meeting the tasks on support of small and medium entrepreneurship, increase of investments and export, development of construction and social sphere were discussed.

Above all, the possibility to ensure economic growth in the region at least 6 percent in 2025, bring the gross regional product to 105 trillion soums, provide employment for 305 thousand people, lift 150 thousand people out of poverty has been outlined.

For instance, the machine-tool industry is well established in Andijan. However, over the past two years, equipment worth $1 billion has been imported to the region. If the production of such equipment inside the country is mastered, it will become an additional source of income for the economy and provide new jobs. It is necessary to support such initiatives of entrepreneurs, assist them in obtaining certificates and necessary parts.

Centers of machine-building and design production will also be created. Technical parameters of imported equipment demanded in the industry will be studied and alternatives for local enterprises will be proposed. Soft loans worth 5 billion soum will be allocated to the entrepreneurs willing to localize such equipment.

There are 13 thousand hectares of hilly terrain in the region where crops can be grown by bringing water. But using pumps to supply water to such lands requires energy costs. Therefore, financial instruments will be applied to install solar panels. An intensive orchard and industrial-type vineyard will be planted on 300 hectares in Kurgantepe.

Inefficient greenhouses from other regions will be transferred to Andijan and leased to the population. Cheap seeds and mineral fertilizers will be delivered to the mahallas.

The Ministry of employment and poverty reduction organized greenhouses on 5 hectares in Balykchy and Altynkul districts, thanks to which 100 families in need started to receive income. This experience will now be implemented in Ulugnor, Pakhtaabad, Khojaabad, Markhamat and Andijan districts. Chairmen of mahallas that organize such modern greenhouses in an exemplary manner will be paid a 100 percent bonus.

Currently, only 23 percent of the region’s artificial reservoirs are used for intensive fish farming. A project has been developed to attract $15 million dollars from the Asian Development Bank for intensive fish farming on 320 hectares and cooperation with 500 households. Instructions were given to take the project under control and develop fish farming in the republic as a whole.

Andijan has a high tourist potential. In Kampirovot mahallas of Khanabad, Shirmonbulok of Bulakbashi and Tosh-ota of Khojaabad districts it is possible to create tourist facilities and increase the flow of tourists. This year the task is set to complete 25 projects worth $125 million in tourism, attract 3.5 million foreign and local tourists and increase tourism exports to $200 million.

Special attention at the meeting was paid to investments and exports. This year the volume of foreign investments will amount to $3.1 billion, 23 large and 321 small and medium projects worth $1 billion will be launched. There is an opportunity to increase export to $1.5 billion, the volume of localization – up to 10 trillion soums.

Products worth $200 million are exported annually from Andijan to Kyrgyzstan. In order to expand mutual trade it was proposed to create free trade and industrial zones in Kurgantepe and Khojaabad.

The importance of auctioning 360 inefficiently used real estate objects in the region and creating conditions for entrepreneurial projects was noted.

Construction of small and micro hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity of 75 megawatts is possible on ditches and canals with high flow rate. Entrepreneurs participating in this will be given loans for 7 years at 12 percent with a grace period of 3 years.

Tasks on the development of construction and infrastructure were also discussed. This year it is planned to build 245 apartment buildings for 9,700 apartments, which will provide employment for 10 thousand people. More than 1000 kilometers of roads and bridges will be repaired.

Due to lack of capacity of main water pipeline Khanabad-Andijan 510 thousand people experience difficulties with water supply in six districts. In this regard, it was emphasized that it is necessary to build a second line of the water pipeline with the participation of the Asian Development Bank.

Instructions were given to increase the capacity of roads connecting the region with neighboring states, develop public transport between Andijan city and districts.

Social areas directly affect the life of the population. The share of high-tech surgical operations in Andijan will reach 40 percent. Employment will be provided for 15 thousand graduates of technical schools. 6 thousand students will be covered by dual education. Four higher education programs in engineering, medicine, economics and agrarian sphere will be internationally accredited.

In this regard, measures will be taken to develop medical education and tourism, increase the number of 24-hour private medical stations in mahallas.

As is known, there is a system in place to reward school principals who have improved capacity and efficiency. Now this system will be introduced in technical schools as well.

At the initiative of the President, a festival of artists will be held every year in the city of Babur. The winners will be awarded with the President’s gift – cars.

– Today we have outlined the most important tasks to bring Andijan to a new stage of development, highlighted all topical issues, identified the necessary funds for the region, – said Shavkat Mirziyoyev. – If we all work together, united, our successes will be multiplied, there will be no heights we cannot reach, Andijan will become even more prosperous.

At the meeting deputy Prime Ministers, ministers and other responsible persons presented information on their fields. It was emphasized that hokims of the region, hokims of 16 cities and districts should meet daily with the population and entrepreneurs, maintain the current pace, take responsibility in the conditions of global economic fluctuations.