| June 13-20, 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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President visits two provinces
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President Islam Karimov visited two provinces of Uzbekistan — Andijan and Ferghana June 18-19. Andijan is a leading agricultural province. The president was interested in meeting with successful farmers in Andijan primarily growing grain and cotton. Besides he visited a couple of house-holds to get acquainted with the social life of people in that area. He said that the country needs 4.5 million tons of grain for self-sufficiency. "To strengthen the country's independence, we need to be indendent in the economy," said the president. Then he visited Ferghana — the town getting prepared for 1,200th jubilee of Ahmad Al-Farghoni — the East's prominent scholar. The archeological findings showed that this area has an almost two-thousand-year history. However President Karimov urged archeologists to expand their efforts, because this land could have even a-three-thousand year-old history. The president gave his advice about the place for Al-Farghoni's statue; about rennovation works in the park which now carries Al-Farghoni's name.
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Uzbekistan receives one more A-310
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Executive Director of the Airbus Industrie Ditriech Russell and General Manager of the Uzbek National Airways Company (UzNAC) Arslan Ruzmetov signed in Toulouse, France a contract on the purchase of a new A-310 passenger airplane. The new airplane called "Bukhara" has arrived in Uzbekistan. According to Mr. Ruzmetov the 193-seat airplane is more sophisticated than the previous ones leased by UzNAC and is being planned to be used for international flights to France and to East Asia.
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TDA gives $600,000 to aircraft factory
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On June 17, 1998 Vadim P. Kucherov, General Director of the Tashkent Aircraft Production Association (TAPO) signed the Prime Contractor's Contract with Emerging Markets Finance Corporation (EMFC), at the American Business Center in Tashkent. EMFC, U.S. based project consultancy firm specializing in CIS aviation projects, will coordinate the activities of Pratt & Whitney Canada, AlliedSignal Aerospace, Price Waterhouse, UzinvestProject and Uzavialeasing in formulating and implementing a financial structure to accommodate the sale/lease of the TAPO manufactured Il-114 aircraft within the CIS and abroad. In early 1995, Prime Minister Utkur Sultanov requested U.S. Government assistance in transforming the Tashkent Aircraft Production Association named after Chkalov (TAPO) from a public sector military enterprise into a viable private sector commercial enterprise. In response, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA) approved two Technical Assistance Grants, in the amounts of U.S.$1,000,000 and $600,000 respectively, to partially fund the cost of goods and services required to facilitate the development and sale of TAPO manufactured aircraft on commercial terms.
Activity under the first Grant was successfully completed in September 1997 with the identification of the sales/lease of up to ten Ilyushin 114 aircraft with Pratt & Whitney engines to Uzbekistan Airways. The implementation of a financial structure to accommodate the sales/lease of these ten aircraft was initially defined as the scope of work for the second grant. At the request of the National Bank of Uzbekistan (NBU) and TAPO, the scope was expanded to include other CIS based airlines.
On May 29,1998, the U.S. Government, acting through the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan, acting through the Department of Investment Program, signed the second grant for $600,000 in Istanbul, Turkey, at the TDA sponsored 'Crossroads of the world' conference.
Success of the TDA funded program would result in a significant increase in orders for TAPO manufactured aircraft, and resultant employment benefits - both within Uzbekistan and the United States. According to TAPO's marketing specialists, in excess of 300 Il-114 aircraft could be placed in service within the next ten years subject to the availability of financing.
Through the funding of feasibility studies, orientation visits, training grants, conferences, and various forms of technical assistance, TDA enables American businesses to become involved in the planning stages of infrastructure and industrial projects in middle-income and developing countries. By doing this, the Agency provides American firms with market entry, exposure, and information, helping them establish a position in markets that are otherwise difficult to penetrate.
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German Bundestag ratifies EU agreement
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Germany has become the tenth country to ratify the Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union and Uzbekistan signed in Florence in June of 1996. The agreement will come to effect after all fifteen EU member-states will have ratified it.
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President will visit Bulgaria
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President Islam Karimov will pay an official state visit to the Republic of Bulgaria June 23-25 at the invitation of President Petr Stoyanov.
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President meets with OECF vice-president
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President Islam Karimov met with the Vice-President of the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF) of Japan, Tomio Uchida on June 16 in Tashkent. Earlier Mr. Uchida met with the government's other officials including Prime Minister Utkir Sultanov. President Karimov noted that the OECF invested in long-term projects in Uzbekistan. The fund was established in 1961 and has given credits to countries to improve democratic reforms, develop free market economy and protect human rights. Uzbekistan has received 345.4 million U.S. dollars-worth of credit from the OECF for the development of telecommunication networks and transportation infrastructure.
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