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The amount of Russian oil to be piped through Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan in 2023 has been reduced to 180,000 tons, reported by the Head of the Transportation Department of Kazakhstan’s Kaztransoil pipeline monopoly.

In July, the company had announced an agreement to pump 300,000 tons of oil from Russia to Uzbekistan through Kazakhstan this year.

Kaztransoil reports Russian oil supplies in 2023 to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan has been reduced to 180,000 tons. In July, the company had announced an agreement to pump 300,000 tons of oil from Russia to Uzbekistan through Kazakhstan this year.

Department Director, Abay Beisembaev commented that Kazakhstan had transported 48,500 tons of Russian oil to Uzbekistan in the first half of 2023 and a further 131,500 tons were planned in the second half of the year.

No reason was given for the reduction.

On February 1, Kaztransoil increased the tariff for the transportation of Russian raw materials through Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan to $27.9 per ton from $25.12 per ton.

Source

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Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan plan to expand agricultural cooperation, creating modern production facilities, said Kazakh First Vice Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev at the Asia Grain Conference 2023, which took place on April 25-26 in Almaty, reported the ministry’s press service.

According to Shakkaliyev, the sides plan to launch joint grain and fodder production in the Akmola and Kostanai regions by the year-end, implementing investment agreements and trade contracts signed during Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s state visit to Tashkent in December 2022.

“The Uzbek side plans to visit Kazakh regions to determine land plots and conditions of the partnership,” said Shakkaliyev.

The sides agreed to construct a feedlot for 20,000 heads of cattle and a meat processing complex, a plant for processing fruit and berry crops in the Turkistan Region, and a grain production cluster for deep processing of up to 1 million tons of grain. It is also planned to launch a project for refining vegetable oil at the Central Asia International Industrial Cooperation Center on the border of the two countries.

To enhance trade cooperation, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan created a joint export-import company UZKAZTRADE to assist businesses in increasing mutual deliveries of products and entering the markets of third countries. So far, it is planned to import fruits and vegetables from Uzbekistan to meet the needs of the Kazakh market.

The international conference brought together nearly 250 delegates from 21 countries, including Afghanistan, China, Malaysia, Türkiye, the European Union states, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and other countries.

Source: Astana Times

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The parties considered various aspects of the multifaceted partnership between Uzbekistan and the EU, primarily in trade and economic sphere.

They noted with sarisfaction growth in the volume of mutual trade observed in recent years, the increase in the number of joint ventures and investment projects implemented under the EU GSP+ preferential system.

The sides also exchanged views on the current issues of the international agenda.

Source: AKI Press

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The UK has a strong, growing relationship and cooperates closely with Uzbekistan in a number of areas: from trade, security, private sector development, and economic governance to education, and climate change, UK ambassador to Uzbekistan Tim Torlot said.

According to the ambassador, in order to support governance and private sector development of Uzbekistan, the UK government created a special flagship program.

“The UK is committed to supporting economic governance and private sector development through our flagship program, “Effective Governance for Economic Development” (EGED), which aims to support the Uzbek Government and citizens in effective, evidence-based design and delivery of economic policies,” the ambassador said.

Torlot emphasized that the abovementioned program is focused on: labor code and labor relations policy design and implementation support, governance and restructuring of state-owned enterprises, support to public procurement reform, support to green transition, measuring informality, urban development, and housing policy reform, as well as the development of e-commerce.

Source: Azer News

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Kazakh and Uzbek business leaders signed export agreements worth $900,000 during the fifth meeting of the Uzbek-Kazakh Business Council, held on April 26 in Tashkent, the press service of Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs (NCE)  reported.

The sides addressed cooperation in various sectors, including construction and textile industries.

Director of the Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Turkistan Region Assylkhan Ibadullayev told meeting participants about the region’s investment opportunities. In 2022, the trade turnover between the countries reached $4.9 billion.

“We are in close trade and economic relations with Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan primarily exports wheat, smartphones, cars, flour, and cattle meat, and imports car parts, concentrates, fertilizers, fruits, and vegetables,” said Ibadullayev.

Photo credit: Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs of both countries addressed logistical barriers, expressing dissatisfaction with the high tariffs and bureaucracy. Ibadullayev focused on the agro-industrial complex, food supplies, industry, tourism, renewable energy, and niche projects in the region.

He offered the Uzbek counterparts projects for constructing a full-cycle meat processing plant, a plant for the deep processing of poultry meat, a sugar factory, a greenhouse complex, a juice production plant, a plant for processing gourds, a furniture production workshop, and other projects.

“Kazakhstan is ready to support obtaining the necessary land, providing raw materials, and promoting products abroad and elsewhere. We are glad to cooperate and expect a fruitful result from both sides,” Ibadullayev said.

Source: Astana Times

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Responding to the news that the Kyrgyzstani authorities are charging 27 activists who protested against a border agreement with Uzbekistan with “attempting to overthrow the government”, Heather McGill, Amnesty International’s Researcher on Central Asia, said:

“It is absurd that these individuals are being tried on the trumped-up charge of attempting to overthrow the state. The activists and politicians facing prosecution are being unjustly penalized merely for exercising their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression.”

“The many procedural violations that have marred this case speak to the fact that these accusations are politically motivated and designed to stifle state critics. Precious little evidence has been presented to support the charges, besides emails, text messages and social media posts expressing legitimate dissent and calling for peaceful assemblies.

The many procedural violations that have marred this case speak to the fact that these accusations are politically motivated and designed to stifle state criticsHeather McGill, Amnesty International’s Researcher on Central Asia

“Criticizing government policies and decision-making is not a crime. The Kyrgyzstani government should ensure that independent voices are allowed in the arena of public debate. The authorities must drop all unsubstantiated charges against these unfairly detained protesters and immediately release them.”

Background

In October 2022, over 20 civil society activists and politicians, including prominent journalist Aydanbek Akmatov, were arrested. The arrests came as the authorities were finalizing a border agreement with Uzbekistan that would cede control of the Kempir-Abad (Andizhan) reservoir to Uzbekistan.

The defendants had called for a public assembly in Uzgen, a town located near the border of Uzbekistan, and formed a committee to oppose the agreement and demand transparency.

The defendants were initially detained on charges of organizing mass disorder (despite no evidence having been presented that they had anything other than peaceful intentions). They are now being charged with attempting to violently overthrow the government, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment.

While some of the defendants have been released and placed under house arrest, 17 of them are still being held in abysmal conditions in a pretrial detention centre in Bishkek. Moreover, several of these detainees suffer from serious health issues, including human rights defender Rita Karasartova who is battling grave health problems.

Source: AMNESTY

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BAKU, Azerbaijan – FlyArystan, a Kazakh low-cost flight operator, will launch direct flights from Astana, Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent, trend reports, citing FlyArystan.

The air carrier says that the first flight on Astana – Tashkent – Astana route is scheduled for July 3, 2023. Regular flights in this direction will be carried on Airbus A320/neo aircraft, twice a week – on Mondays and Wednesdays.

The price of the one-way ticket in this direction is set at 21,800 Kazakh tenge ($48). The price includes a seat and the right to carry one piece of luggage.

The tickets can be purchased via the company website and mobile application.

Recently, the company resumed flights from Almaty, Kazakhstan to Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The flights on Almaty – Samarkand – Almaty route take place twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The 2-hour-long flights are carried out on Airbus aircraft.

Source: MENA FN

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