Tag Archives: Uzbekistan

Online music vids need permission in Uzbekistan

JULY 1 2017 (The Bulletin) — Musicians in Uzbekistan now have to apply for a licence to post their videos online, rules that officials say are needed to preserve Uzbek traditions and culture. The Uzbek language service of the US- funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that a music video by the Uzbek pop singer Munisa Rizayeva had irked the authorities as being too Hispanic. They said that she had “Hispanicised” words on the music video for her song “Sakramento”.

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(News report from Issue No. 335, published on July 3 2017)

Uzbek and Tajik ministers meet for first time since 1998

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JUNE 29 2017 (The Bulletin) — The interior ministers of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan met for the first time in 19 years during a CIS meeting of interior ministers in Dushanbe. The meeting highlights just how far Uzbekistan has moved towards improving its relations with its neighbours since Shavkat Mirziyoyev become president in September 2016. His predecessor Islam Karimov had pushed to isolate Uzbekistan, eschewing regional meetings. Relations with Tajikistan had been particularly strained over plans to build a new dam.

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(News report from Issue No. 335, published on July 3 2017)

Gas trade increases between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan

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JUNE 27 2017 (The Bulletin) — Uzbekistan will increase imports of gas condensate from neighbouring Turkmenistan to feed its new refinery at Bukhara, media reported quoting state-owned Turkmengas. There have been no public announcements on an increase in gas to Uzbekistan and no numbers have been released on how much gas will be sent to Uzbekistan from Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan has been looking to broaden its gas purchasing clients.

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(News report from Issue No. 335, published on July 3 2017)

Mirziyoyev sets up his own youth movement for Uzbekistan

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TASHKENT, JUNE 30 2017 (The Bulletin) — In a speech to hundreds of youth activists, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said that he was renaming their organisation as the Uzbekistan Youth Union, a deliberate break from the Kamolot brand it had used under former President Islam Karimov.

Kamolot had been one of Karimov’s most successful propaganda tools, sweeping up thousands of people aged between 14 and 30. Kamolot, which means perfection in Uzbek, was set up in 2001 as a successor to the Soviet-era Komsomol. Its detractors said it was used by Karimov to create thousands of pliant Uzbeks who would spread his ideology. It was not compulsory to join Kamolot but those that did often found their path smoothed to good government jobs.

During his speech, Mr Mirzioyev, who appears to be relishing his role as the arch-reformer since taking the over the presidency in September 2016 a few days after Karimov died, said that Kamolot had been a narrow project aimed at promoting a few people above everybody else.

“The activity of the movement has been limited to a narrow circle, and was aimed only at its members. The youth who did not join the movement remained out of sight,” he said, also announcing a doubling of the youth movement budget to $51m.

Still, he appeared to contradict himself shortly afterwards with the appointment of 23-year-old Alisher Sadullayev, a former Kamolot member, as his education minister.

And people commentating online after the announcement were sceptical, suggesting that Mr Mirzioyev was aiming to ape Mr Karimov’s Kamolot rather than build a new all-inclusive youth movement.

“I don’t think that there will be a lot of difference between Kamolot and UYU (Uzbekistan Youth Union). The only difference I’m sure about is how UYU members will call them- selves the children of Mirziyoyev’,” one commentator said.

Another was more whimsical. He wrote on Facebook: “Kamolot is dead, long live UYU!”

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(News report from Issue No. 335, published on July 3 2017)

Uzbek CB to check bank’s liquidity

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JUNE 30 2017 (The Bulletin) — Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev ordered Uzbekistan’s Central Bank to increase checks on commercial banks’ liquidity, media reported quoting a decree on an official website. The government is increasingly concerned about the stability of the banking sector.

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(News report from Issue No. 335, published on July 3 2017)

Hungary opens embassy in Uzbekistan

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JUNE 27 2017 (The Bulletin) — Hungary opened a new embassy in Tashkent, highlighting, perhaps, Uzbekistan’s new openness under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto, who is on a short tour of Central Asia, officially opened the new embassy, highlighting its importance for boosting trade links.

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(News report from Issue No. 335, published on July 3 2017)

Late Uzbek President’s nephew receives refugee status

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JUNE 29 2017 (The Bulletin) — A court in Ukraine refused to approve the extradition of Akbar Abdullaev, the nephew of former Uzbek President Islam Karimov, to face various corruption and money laundering charges because it did not think he would receive a fair trial. Instead, Mr Abdullaev was given refugee status. He was arrested in Kiev in mid-January.

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(News report from Issue No. 335, published on July 3 2017)

Uzbek President orders new airport

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JUNE 30 2017 (The Bulletin) — Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has ordered officials in Tashkent to build a new airport from scratch, apparently dropping plans to build a new terminal for international flights at the current airport. The decree, did not say when the new airport would be completed or how much it would cost.

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(News report from Issue No. 335, published on July 3 2017)

Jehovah Witness holds meeting in Uzbekistan

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JUNE 28 2017 (The Bulletin) — A delegation of senior officials from Jehovah Witness chapters in Europe and the United States travelled to Tashkent for a meeting with the Uzbek government. Very little detail on what was discussed was released by the Uzbek government but the Jehovah Witness officials may have been complaining about an ongoing crackdown against its members.

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(News report from Issue No. 335, published on July 3 2017)

Uzbekneftgaz wants new branding

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JUNE 21 2017 (The Bulletin) — Perhaps embracing the country’s new era of openness, Uzbekistan’s state-owned oil and gas company Uzbekneftegas plans to throw off its Soviet-style branding. The company, which runs the Uzbek energy sector, has said that it wants a new logo and a new slogan that can be translated into Uzbek, Russian and English.

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(News report from Issue No. 334, published on June 26 2017)