SEPT. 27 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) — The Uzbek government will invest $78m between 2013 and 2015 in the tourist sector around Tashkent, Uzbektourism told the Trend news agency. The number of tourists visiting Uzbekistan, mainly for the ancient Silk Road towns, has steadily increased. Officials want to double the number of hotel rooms in Tashkent to 2,800.
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(News report from Issue No. 154, published on Oct. 2 2013)
SEPT. 25 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) — Police in the city of Urgench, northwest Uzbekistan, have detained Sergei Naumov, a prominent independent-minded journalist, without explanation since Sept. 21, rights groups said. Uzbekistan has one of the worst human rights records in the world and rights groups said they worried about Mr Naumov’s safety.
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(News report from Issue No. 153, published on Sept. 25 2013)
SEPT. 10 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) — In front of thousands of fans at the national stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s football team lost to Jordan in a penalty shootout in the second match of their World Cup playoff tie. The match had ended 1-1. Uzbekistan had been trying to become the first team from Central Asia to reach the World Cup finals.
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(News report from Issue No. 151, published on Sept. 11 2013)
AUG. 26 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) — Irish Distillers, a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard, has lost the rights to the Jameson whiskey brand name in Uzbekistan, RFE/RL reported. A local company owns the Jameson brand name through a 2008 patent, the court ruled. Western companies have previously struggled to defend intellectual property in Uzbekistan.
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(News report from Issue No. 150, published on Sept. 2 2013)
AUG. 30 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) — Uzbekistan Airways, the state-owned airline, has placed an order for two new Dreamliner Boeings, media reported. Neither the Uzbek government nor Boeing have confirmed these reports. In August, senior Boeing executives reportedly travelled to Tashkent for meetings with Uzbek government officials.
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(News report from Issue No. 150, published on Sept. 2 2013)
AUG. 23 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) — Uzbekistan should produce 1.1m tonnes of processed cotton in 2013, the same level as last year, an industry website reported quoting government officials. Cotton is a major foreign currency earner for Uzbekistan, the world’s sixth largest producer and second largest exporter.
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(News report from Issue No. 149, published on Aug. 26 2013)
AUG. 21 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) — Petrol stations in Uzbekistan have restricted fuel sales to counter a reported shortage, media reported. The shortages haven’t been adequately explained but may be due to stockpiling. A website linked to the government said fuel prices, normally controlled, may soon shoot upwards.
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(News report from Issue No. 149, published on Aug. 26 2013)
AUG. 5 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) — Uzbekistan is on the verge of signing a deal to send 200,000 tonnes of cotton annually to Bangladesh, media reported. Bangladesh already imports cotton from Uzbekistan for its garment-making industry but this deal should smooth the process. Human rights groups accuse Uzbekistan of using child labour to pick cotton.
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(News report from Issue No. 147, published on Aug. 12 2013)
AUG. 8 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) — Russia’s VimpelCom booked an 88% increase in profits from its Uzbek subsidiary for the year to the end-July because of the closure of its rival, the MTS-owned Uzdunrobita, media reported. VimpelCom has increased subscribers in Uzbekistan by 45% to 10m since Uzdunrobita closed a year ago for tax infringements.
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(News report from Issue No. 147, published on Aug. 12 2013)
JULY 23 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) — At least one Uzbek soldier died in a gunfight with Kyrgyz soldiers on their shared border. Shootings are relatively common along the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border but the incident again highlights tension. Analysts have said the issue could destabilise the region.
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(News report from Issue No. 145, published on July 29 2013)