News Agency HARAKAT - 10 March 2010

• 03:34The meeting of Asian Development Bank will be held on May 1-4 in Tashkent. Will "Birlik" be able to use this?

  On February 16 President of Uzbekistan Islam Karim met with the President of the Asian Development Bank Haruhiko Kuroda. Official reports about Mr. Kuroda’s visit did not contain any details. But we suggested that he had some goals, he definitely held some negotiations and there were certain decisions made. We have also predicted that this information we will get from the Russian media, and not from the Uzbek. Actually, as it became known, the main goal of Haruhiko Kuroda’s visit to Uzbekis...

• 17:06Did Barack Obama change his mind on Russia and the Muslim World?

  During numerous pre-election appearances and presidential campaign speeches, Barack Obama outreached to Russia and the Muslim World. Shortly after the inauguration, he announced a "new era" in U.S. foreign relations with Russia and the Islamic World, suggesting new policies would be a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. According to Obama, who had sometime spoken openly sometimes by hinting, the Unites States is going to reduce of interest in issues like human right...

• 02:06United States is not going to reinstate the military base in Uzbekistan. What will happen if they are?

  Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan under the Obama administration Richard Holbrooke yesterday met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakstan Kanat Saudabayev in Astana, where in conversation mentioned that the United States are not going to rebuild a military base in Uzbekistan. According to Holbrooke, United States is grateful for the fact that Uzbekistan has allowed to carry through its territory of transit cargo to Afghanistan. Construction of airbase in Uzbekistan should ...

• 04:26"Pravda Vostoka" responded to Tajik Minister’s response regarding Roghun Hydroelectric Power Plant

  Today an article was published by the Russian newspaper of Uzbekistan “Pravda Vostoka” about international expertise on construction Roghun HPS (Hydroelectric Power Station). This paper can be understood as a response to the letter of Tajik Prime Minister Oqil Okilov from the Uzbek Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyaev. Even if the article did not mention above names, its essence is following. It is known that Shavkat Mirziyayev expressed interest in independent international expertise reg...

• 18:57Security bloc considers adding Iraq, Pakistan

  The conflict in Afghanistan and expanding its membership to include Iran and Pakistan are key issues facing the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the coming year, its new head said. "In the current global context, the top priority is finding a solution to the Afghan issue," said Secretary-General Muratbek Sansyzbayevich Imanaliev during a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday. The fear is that instability within Afghanistan's borders, where Taliban fighters are challenging the U.S. a...

• 18:56TENNIS: Thai women whitewash Uzbekistan

  Thailand settled scores against second seeds Uzbekistan with a 3-0 whitewash in their Group B opening tie of the Fed Cup Zone Asia/Oceania Group I in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. The Kingdom, who lost their previous encounter 2-1 in Nonthaburi two years ago, were quickly into top gear, with Suchanan Viratprasert outclassing Sabina Sharipova 6-2 6-2 to take the first point. Then Tamarine Tanasugarn avenged her loss to Akgul Amanmuradova in the 2008 tie, exploiting a string of unforced errors fro...

• 19:39PVEP saddles up for Uzbekistan

  Petrovietnam Exploration & Production (PVEP), part of state oil group Petrovietnam, is to invest $30 million to look for oil and gas in Uzbekistan. PVEP said in a statement it signed a contract with state oil company Uzbekneftegaz on 29 January, under which PVEP would drill three wells for exploration over the next five years in the Kossor block covering 5500 square kilometres, Reuters reported. The deal with Uzbekneftegaz brought the number of projects PVEP is involved in to 56, including...

• 20:07TeliaSonera Increases its Ownership in UCell

  TeliaSonera increases its ownership in UCell from 74 percent to 94 percent by acquiring 20 percent of the shares in the jointly owned TeliaSonera Uzbek Telecom Holding B.V. from Takilant Limited. TeliaSonera will pay approximately SEK 1,550 million (USD 220 million) for the shares. TeliaSonera Uzbek Telecom Holding B.V. is a Dutch holding company owning 100 percent of UCell in Uzbekistan. “This transaction underlines TeliaSonera’s strategy to increase ownership in core holdings. With a young ...

• 20:06President of Uzbekistan to visit Seoul

  Uzbek President Islam Karimov plans to visit Korea next week to discuss bilateral and international issues, the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae said yesterday. Karimov is to arrive Feb. 10 for a three-day visit, officials said. The trip was planned to reciprocate President Lee Myung-bak's visit to Uzbekistan in May last year. "President Karimov's state visit is expected to bolster a strategic partnership between the two nations and develop the Korean government's New Asia Diplomacy," ...

• 22:05NATO, Kazakhstan agree on overland supply route to Afghanistan

  NATO says it has reached agreement with Kazakhstan to open a key new supply route for the international force in Afghanistan. Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the link from Europe to Afghanistan, via Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, will offer an alternative to the alliance's main logistics chain through Pakistan. This has come under repeated militant attack in the past. Although the land and air route through Russia and Central Asia has been used in the past by individual NA...