President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov attended the United Nations General Assembly Session on Millennium Development Goals in New York on the invitation of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The head of our state delivered a speech at the summit.

Relations between Uzbekistan and the United Nations cover a wide range of areas. Uzbekistan became a member of the UN in 1992. Since then, Uzbekistan has built a consistent cooperation with the most authoritative international organization in countering threats and challenges to peace and stability, addressing environmental issues and those related to socio-economic development.

In 2002, the former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan visited Uzbekistan.

In April 2010, the current Secretary General Ban Ki-moon paid a visit to Uzbekistan. During his trip, the Secretary General visited the Aral Sea region for the first time and directly acquainted with the environmental crisis that has had an adverse impact on the entire world. Ban Ki-moon’s visit to the area proved crucial for bringing the international community’s focus on Central Asia’s environmental predicament.

Declaration on Cooperation between Secretariats of the United Nations and Shanghai Cooperation Organization was signed during Ban Ki-moon’s visit. The document has become the key factor in expanding the participation of these two structures to activate the integration processes in Central Asia, in boosting the regional security.

The Uzbek President’s initiative to declare Central Asia a nuclear weapons free zone was enthusiastically supported by the United Nations, striving to unite the international community in the way of consolidating peace and stability and preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

The UN also appreciates and supports Uzbekistan’s initiatives in jointly countering terrorism, extremism, separatism and drug trafficking, as well as stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan, expanding international cooperation in this direction.

During his speech at the UN General Assembly, President Karimov highlighted the activities undertaken in Uzbekistan in the framework of Millennium Development Goals (MDG), the country’s cooperation with UN, issues related to ensuring regional and environmental security in Central Asia as well as the conflict in Afghanistan.

President of Uzbekistan noted that wars and conflicts on the example of Afghanistan prevented addressing major international issues. Islam Karimov also stressed the need to bring peace to that country by providing economic assistance and implementing social, humanitarian and infrastructure projects. At the same time, the centuries-old traditions and values of the people of Afghanistan should be honored, the head of our state pointed out.

Environmental protection is essential in accomplishing MDG, the leader of Uzbekistan noted in his address. Over the past 40 years, the Aral Sea has shrunk seven times and its water volume decreased as much as 13 times. Given that the Aral Sea region is supplied with water by Amudarya and Sirdarya rivers, the decline of water level in the latter would worsen an already thorny environmental situation.

The proposals and initiatives voiced by Uzbekistan’s President were received with great interest by the participants of UN General Assembly session.

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President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov met with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon at UN headquarters in New York.

Prior to the talks, the head of our state left a note in the UN book of honorary guests.

“There is a growing interest of the United Nations to Uzbekistan and Central Asian states,” Islam Karimov said. “We highly appreciate the cooperation with the UN in ensuring peace and stability in our region, strengthening security, combating drug trafficking, transnational organized crime and other threats, addressing environmental problems and efficient use of water and energy resources.”

Strong ties have been established between Uzbekistan and United Nations agencies such as UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, World Health Organization, and this cooperation is actively developing, President Karimov noted.

Uzbekistan cooperates with the United Nations in many areas. The agenda of mutual relations, in addition to security issues, environment, economic development, education and health also includes issues such as reforming UN and enhancement efficiency of its bodies. The Republic of Uzbekistan proposes to consolidate different UN structures in the country to a single representation. This will lead to effective coordination which will only contribute to further development and intensification of cooperation between Uzbekistan and the UN.

The UN highly appreciates the cooperation with Uzbekistan, and pays special attention to relations with the country and the whole Central Asian region, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon noted during the meeting.

The sides exchanged views on issues related to further enhancement of interaction between Uzbekistan and the United Nations.

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President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov held negotiations with high-level representatives of General Motors, Sikorsky Aircraft and Honeywell companies in New York, US on 20 September.

At the talks with deputy chairman of General Motors Thomas Stephens, Islam Karimov said that Uzbekistan was dynamically developing the car industry, and the cooperation with the GM had a great importance in this aspect.

Over the short span of time since GM entered the automobile industry of Uzbekistan, several new models of cars were launched at the plant in Asaka, Andijan region.

This August, GM Uzbekistan started production of a new model called Spark. The annual capacity is 50,000 cars, almost half of which will be exported.
Having become an important part of the GM’s global network, the Uzbek automobile sector has been strengthening its positions on the foreign markets.

Cooperation with GM also plays an important part in attracting foreign investments for new projects in the car production industry, Islam Karimov said.

Thomas Stephens said General Motors highly valued its cooperation with Uzbekistan and was interested in further expansion of the relations.

The leader of Uzbekistan also met Jeffrey Pino, president of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., which is one of the leaders in aircraft production.

Islam Karimov and Jeffrey Pino considered issues of expansion of mutual cooperation. Head of Sikorsky Aircraft said his company was interested in cooperation with Uzbekistan.

President Islam Karimov then received David Cote, chairman and CEO of Honeywell. The head of the state said Uzbekistan could become a link for the American corporation in entering new market.

Uzbekistan is interested in attracting Honeywell technologies and investments in order to open new modern sectors of economy.

David Cote said Uzbekistan is a country with high intellectual potential and rich mineral resources, and Honeywell sees broad perspectives for cooperation with the country.

The sides discussed issues of expansion of cooperation with Honeywell, including development of joint projects.

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President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov, who participated in the United Nations General Assembly session on Millennium Development Goals in New York, met with Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, on September 21.

The head of our state held that Germany is one of Uzbekistan’s most reliable partners in Europe and that relations between the two countries have been steadfast in all spheres of cooperation.

The two nations have enjoyed robust political, economic and cultural ties. Regular bilateral visits at various levels have served to advance mutual relations. The Federal Republic has always expressed its support for our government’s efforts in democratizing various spheres of life in the country.

Uzbekistan and Germany closely cooperate in bolstering regional security and stability. The progress achieved in relations between the two countries has contributed to the expansion of mutually beneficial interaction between Uzbekistan and the European Union.

During the conversation at UN Headquarters, Islam Karimov and Angela Merkel exchanged views on boosting the established cooperation between the two nations as well as other issues of common interest.

On the same day at the UN Headquarters, President of Uzbekistan met with Yves Leterme, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium.

Belgium has been one of Uzbekistan’s trustworthy partners in Western Europe, Islam Karimov pointed out. Relations between the two countries have gradually been developing in political, trade and economic and humanitarian areas.

Uzbekistan and Belgium have established dynamic interaction between the two nations’ parliaments, higher education institutions as well as foreign and defense ministries and security services.

Representatives of Belgian parliament, members of “Uzbekistan-Belgium” inter-parliamentary cooperation group regularly attend international forums in Uzbekistan. The foreign ministries of the two countries regularly hold consultations to discuss critical issues of bilateral relations. Uzbekistan and Belgium also vigorously interact in promotion of regional cooperation.

In the economic realm, Uzbekistan and Belgium have set up the most favorable nation regime. Uzbekistan exports cotton, textiles, inorganic chemistry products and other goods to Belgium. In its turn, Belgium supplies Uzbekistan with mechanical equipment, pharmaceuticals, plastics, rubber and other products.

In 1999, the Walloon Agency for Export and Foreign Investment (AWEX) opened its representative office in Tashkent. Uzbekistan’s Trade and Industry Chamber and the Chamber of Commerce of West Flanders, Belgium, have a memorandum of cooperation. In recent years, a series of business forums and meetings directed at enhancing bilateral cooperation have been held in Tashkent and Brussels.

In the framework of cultural cooperation, exhibitions on Samarkand’s 2,750th anniversary and Marghilan’s 2,000th anniversary were organized in Belgium. Uzbekistan and Belgium friendship society was created in 1999. Belgian-Uzbek cultural center Dostlik was opened in 2004.

At the meeting at UN Headquarters, Yves Leterme said Belgium highly appreciates its multi-faceted cooperation with Uzbekistan. Prime Minister added that the encouraging investment environment created in Uzbekistan has served to increase Belgian entrepreneurs’ interest in doing business in Uzbekistan.

During the meeting, the sides discussed Uzbek-Belgian relations and other issues of mutual interest.

President of Uzbekistan also met with President of Hungary Pal Schmitt at the UN Headquarters.

Uzbekistan and Hungary are linked with ties of mutual confidence and commitment, as well as spiritual closeness of the peoples, Islam Karimov said.

The two countries have been developing relations in the political sphere. Uzbekistan and Hungary have similar or close views and approaches to mutual cooperation, and issues of regional and international importance.

Uzbekistan and Hungary are reliable business partners. The two countries have signed important documents on trade-economic and scientific-technical cooperation, mutual protection and promotion of investments, avoidance of double taxation and others.

Eximbank of Hungary has decided to allocate a credit to Uzbekistan worth 50 million US dollars. These funds will be used to finance projects of providing clinics with medical equipment, introduction of energy-saving technologies in urban infrastructure, reconstruction of treatment facilities at oil refineries and other fields.

In the humanitarian sphere, Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan cooperate with a number of Hungarian organizations in the fields of materials science, microelectronics, instrumentation and pharmacology.

At the meeting, Pal Schmitt said that Hungary was interested in developing relations with Uzbekistan in all spheres. The sides discussed prospects of cooperation between Uzbekistan and Hungary and other issues of mutual interest.

President Islam Karimov also met with Marty Bentrott, senior vice president of Boeing Corporation.

The head of our state said Boeing has become one of the reliable partners of Uzbekistan in the sphere of aviation and aircraft building. The relations with the corporation go beyond delivery of planes and cover areas like improving flight safety and passenger service, aircraft maintenance and repairs, as well as training specialists.

The Uzbekistan Airways company has been cooperating with Boeing since 1995. To date, the national airline has purchased 11 Boeing aircraft. Uzbekistan Airways Technics enterprise conducts maintenance of not only domestic, but also foreign aircrafts.

In accordance with the agreement between Uzbekistan Airways and Boeing Corporation, the latter will deliver to Uzbekistan four Boeing-767-300ER planes in 2011-2013. In 2016, the fleet of the national air carrier will receive two Boeing-787-8 liners.

During the meeting, Marty Bentrott noted that Boeing was interested in progressive development of cooperation with Uzbekistan Airways.

President Karimov and Marty Bentrott exchanged views on issues related to further expansion of cooperation in the field of aviation and aircraft maintenance.