By the Center for Economic Research and Reforms (CERR)
The leading international economic statistical online portal Trading Economics, which evaluates over 20 million economic indicators in 196 countries of the world, has published for the first time the Business Climate Index of Uzbekistan calculated by the Center for Economic Research and Reforms (CERR).
According to the results of the January survey, the consolidated business climate indicator has shown a slight decrease since the beginning of the year. In particular, in January, the decline was significantly influenced by the dynamics of indicators in the agriculture and services sector.
Analysts estimate the state of the business climate in the country in January as positive. So, despite the decrease in the consolidated indicator by 3 points, it amounted to 54 points.
Center for Economic Research and Reforms (CERR).
For reference: CERR conducts a monthly survey among 1 thousand entrepreneurs from various sectors of the economy. The consolidated business climate index is formed on the basis of indicators of the current state and expectations. Those, in turn, demonstrate a level of anxiety about obstacles in doing business. The sampling methodology of the study is an industry stratified random sample, according to the methodology of the “Enterprise Survey” of the World Bank. In turn, the business climate index of Uzbekistan was developed with the assistance of the Institute of Economic Research “Ifo Institut” and the consulting company “Berlin Economics” based on the methodology of the German Business Climate Index (GeschĂ€ftsklimaindex).
41% of respondents rated the current state of their business as “good”, the share of those who noted as “bad” was 14%.
20% of enterprises increased the number of employees, and 41% of entrepreneurs noted an increase in demand for goods/services.
In January of this year, the indicator of the current state of the business climate decreased by 13 points and amounted to 34 points, which is explained by the deterioration in agriculture, industry and services. Nevertheless, there was a jump in the construction sector.
The indicator of expectations of business development prospects in the next 3 months remains at a fairly high level â 76 points, which is supported by optimism in all industries.
ByThe National Human Rights Centerof the Republic of Uzbekistan
On February 15 of this year in the meeting hall of the Cabinet of Ministers on the implementation of the fourth stage of the World Education Program in the field of Human Rights in the Republic of Uzbekistan there was a meeting of the National Commission. It discussed the issue of ensuring the implementation of the decision of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On approval of the National Education Program in the field of Human Rights in the Republic of Uzbekistan” adopted on February 7, 2023.
Members of the National Commission for the implementation of the fourth stage of the World Education Program in the field of human rights in the Republic of Uzbekistan participated in the meeting. Members of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis and members of the Senate, the Supreme Court and the Prosecutor General’s Office, heads of ministries and organizations, agencies and institutions, rectors of higher educational institutions, and mass media representatives also took part in the offline and online event.
On the implementation of the fourth stage of the World Education Program in the field of Human Rights in the Republic of Uzbekistan
The Chairman of the National Commission A. Saidov drew attention to the approval of two important documents – the National Education Program in the field of Human Rights in the Republic of Uzbekistan and the “Roadmap” for its implementation by the decision of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on February 7, 2023. The need to organize the execution of these documents in a timely, complete and effective manner was emphasized.
First Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovations K.Karimov, Deputy Director of Youth Affairs Agency D.Kattakhonova and others spoke on the issue on the agenda. The participants spoke about the draft Program for holding the “Human Rights Week” on February 20-28, 2023 within the framework of the implementation of the relevant decision of the President, and expressed their suggestions for organizing the week at a high level.
At the end of the meeting, the Program for holding the “Human Rights Week” was approved. The program include 22 activities, including briefings, press conferences and roundtable discussions, various contests and presentations, meetings with experts, expert communication and scientific-practical conferences.
Human Rights Week is held by the National Human Rights Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan in cooperation with central and local state authorities, state organizations, civil society institutions and international organizations. Events will take place in the entire territory of our country – in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regions and Tashkent city, districts and cities.
Thursday, 16 February 2023, Oslo, The Royal Palace, Kingdom of Norway: Minnesota’s Governor Tim Walz was granted an audience with His Majesty the King of Norway, Harald V. The governor is visiting Norway on the occasion of the NOREX collaboration. For 50 years, the Minnesota National Guard and the Home Guard in Norway have exchanged forces to learn from each other. The governor himself was on exchange in Norway during his time in the National Guard. NOREX is thus the name of the annual exchange between the Home Guard in Norway and the National Guard at Camp Ripley, Minnesota, USA, which has been ongoing for almost 50 years. The purpose of the exchange is to strengthen the already close political and military cooperation between the two countries.
A new agreement has now been signed which ensures the continuation of this important collaboration. Her Majesty Queen Sonja met with representatives of NOREX when she visited Minnesota in 2022, and was present when the new agreement was signed.
While in Norway, Governor Tim Walz today participated in the official State Partnership Program (SPP) signing ceremony in Trondheim, expanding the long-standing partnership between Minnesota and Norwayâs militaries. Governor Walz also celebrated the jubilee of the Norwegian Reciprocal Troop Exchange (NOREX) at the Archbishopâs Palace. Prior to the ceremony and celebration, Governor Walz met with members of the Minnesota National Guard and Norwegian Home Guard participating in the military exchange. Governor Walz was hosted by Queen Sonja of Norway and joined by United States Ambassador to Norway Marc Nathanson; Army Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, Chief of the National Guard Bureau; Army Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, Army National Guard Director; and Army Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke, Minnesota National Guardâs Adjutant General.
Governor Tim Walz (b. 1964) serves in the capacity as the fourty first Minnesota governor since January 7, 2019. He is a member of the Minnesota DemocraticâFarmerâLabor Party (DFL), an affiliate of the national Democratic Party.
By H.E. Mr. Tan Jian, Ambassador of China to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Permanent Representative of China to the OPCW
Recently, the Chinese sci-fi blockbuster The Wandering Earth 2 has been released in many countries. The artificial intelligence robot MOSS, one of the main characters in the movie, is determined to carry out the meta-command of “continuing human civilization”. It endeavors to force human beings to stop internal conflicts and reinforce unity, even at the cost of creating the extinction crisis again and again. In reality, since the concept of AI was first introduced in 1956, its research and application has been fruitful. AI has become part of human civilization, changed significantly our life and injected powerful development momentum into human society.
However, AI also brings new challenges to social governance, privacy protection and ethics. In particular, military applications of AI is no longer a “pipe dream”: some countries set no limits on AI weapons, drones have been frequently used for targeted elimination in real combat, and killer robots are also gradually coming out of the “hidden corner”… Some people predict that AI weapons could lead to “the third revolution in the field of warfare after gunpowder and nuclear weapons ” and it might trigger a new round of arms race, lower the threshold of war and break global strategic balance. What is frightening is that lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) prioritize AI algorithms over human life. Once they are mastered by terrorist groups, the future of human civilization will be disastrous. The famous physicist Stephen Hawking has warned that “AI might lead to the extinction of mankind.”
“Preparedness ensures success and unpreparedness spells failure”. The international community has started to take concrete actions to tackle the “Collingridge Dilemma” of AI. In 2014, the United Nations established the group of governmental experts (GGE) within the framework of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), which has organized since then several rounds of discussions on LAWS-related issues. China participated actively in this process in a constructive manner. Five years later, the GGE reached “11 guiding principles on LAWS” in 2019, filling to a certain extent the gap of governance in this important frontier area.
H.E. Mr. Tan Jian, Ambassador of China to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Permanent Representative of China to the OPCW.
As a responsible country, China has always been committed to building a community with a shared future for mankind in the field of AI. China attaches great importance to preventing and managing potential risks of AI, and actively contributes Chinese insight and input to the global governance of AI. In December 2021, China submitted the Position Paper of the Peopleâs Republic of China on RegulatingâMilitary Applications of AIto the Sixth Review Conference of the CCW. In November 2022, China submitted the Position Paper of the People’s Republic of China on Strengthening Ethical Governance of AI to the Conference of States Parties of the CCW, calling on the international community to uphold the principles of “giving priority to ethics”, “putting peopleâs well-being front and center” and “AI for good” in the aspects of regulation, research and development, utilization and international cooperation.
On 15 and 16 February, the Summit on Responsible AI in the Military Domain (REAIM) was held in The Hague. It has showed the positive attitude of the Netherlands to participate in the global governance of AI in the military domain and to uphold multilateralism. The Chinese delegation has attended the event and participated in the discussions, expecting that the conference could contribute to consensus building on the basis of extensive participation and exchanges among all parties.
It is important to note that strengthening the global governance of AI is not meant to restrict the development of related industries and international cooperation. “Too far east is west”. Some countries, on the pretext of so-called “governance”, are actually pursuing the policies of “my own country first” and “beggar-thy-neighbor”. Unwilling to share development dividends with the international community and promote common security, they instead draw ideological lines, frequently wield the stick of unilateral sanctions, and persist in “building walls and barriers” and “decoupling chains”. This kind of short-sighted behavior will end up by hurting themselves and others.
China is one of the major players in the field of AI. With persistent efforts, China’s AI industry has made great progress in research and development, commercialization and application, providing strong support for the digital economy and social development. In particular, China’s technologies of image recognition, voice recognition and others have entered the world’s leading ranks, and the total number of AI invention patents granted of China ranks first in the world. Moreover, China’s advantages in policy support, funding and investment, market scale, application scenarios, data resources and others will further promote the development of its AI industry. China will also continue to carry out relevant international cooperation with a more open attitude, both to serve its own people and to benefit the international community.
The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held with great success last year. Heading towards the new era, China will conduct cooperation with other countries in an open and inclusive manner. More than 50 years of diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level between China and the Netherlands shows that, openness and pragmatism has always been the most distinctive feature of our bilateral relations. China’s blueprint for high-quality development and high-level opening-up will be a boost to the Sino-Dutch cooperation in the future.
Last year, in the Almere International Horticultural Exposition, three Chinese AI robots served as “cultural communication ambassadors” in China’s Bamboo Garden and were widely praised for their excellent performance. The Netherlands also plays a key role in the field of AI. With respective and complementary advantages, China and the Netherlands have solid foundation and broad prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation in AI. We should stick to multilateralism, uphold the concepts of openness, inclusiveness and mutual benefit, “open windows” rather than “set barriers” for cooperation, and deepen the bilateral cooperation on AI technology and related industries. It would bring more incentives to Sino-Dutch All-round Cooperative Partnership, inject positive energy into the stability of global supply and industry chains, and deliver more “AI dividends” to the world.
Wednesday, 15 February 2023, Helsinki, Republic of Finland: At the Presidential Palace, the President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö received the letters of credence of Maldivian non-resident Ambassador Aishath Shaan Shakir for a presentation of her letters of credence signed by the Maldives’ President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
Aishath Shaan Shakir is based in Berlin wherein she serves in the capacity as head of mission since Monday, 22 August 2022 after presenting credentials to German Federal President Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The Maldives mission in Berlin overseas relations to Russia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland as well as the Ukraine.
Ambassadhor Shaan arrived in Germany after serving in the capacity as Chief of Protocol at the Maldivian Foreign Ministry. She led her first mission in Bangladesh in the capacity as high commissioner from 2016 to 2020. Having joined the diplomatic service in 1984, she has served likewise in Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.
As part of her visit to Finland, Ambassador Shaan sat down with the Under-Secretary of State (Internal and External Services) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland Pekka Puustinen. During the latter meeting the Maldivian ambassador was briefed on the current national and international issues of interest for the Finnish side.
Counsellor Umaira Mohamed accompanied Ambassador Shaan during the ceremony in Helsinki.
Thursday, 2 February 2023, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, USA: The incumbent President of the University of Pennsylvania, Liz Magill welcomed to campus Ambassador Dr Amy Gutmann, for a ceremony and celebration naming ‘Gutmann College House’ in the latter’s honor. Dr Gutmann herself served as president of the university for eighteen years up to her ambassadorial appointment in early 2022. Gutmann was accompanied to the event by her spouse, Dr Michael W. Doyle.
Gutmann College House is a living-learning space, and the thirteenth of its kind. It allows for all second-year undergraduate students to live on campus. âGutmann College House recognizes and commemorates a signal achievement in the life of this University, and a wonderful fulfillment in the lives of our students,â said Magill as per statement linked below.
Monday, 13 February 2023, Berlin, Meistersaal am Potsdamer Platz, Germany: The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO Berlin) gathered friends, business people, public officials and partners of Hong Kong to welcome the Year of the Rabbit with a concert and a subsequent reception. Key contacts from government, political, business and cultural sectors came together and learned about Hong Kongâs return to the economic world stage and the cityâs openness to business travellers, investors and tourists alike.
At the event the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Germany was represented by Minister Junhui Zhang, the German Federal Foreign Office by Jörn BeiĂert, Head of China Division, and the host city of Berlin by Dr. Rainer Seider, Head of Unit for International Affairs.
In her opening speech at the reception, the Director of HKETO Berlin, Ms Jenny Szeto shared the positive developments of easing all remaining pandemic restrictions in Hong Kong. âAs we entered into the Year of the Rabbit, Iâm proud to say that Hong Kong is already embracing the liveliness of the Rabbit, as we open up ourselves once again after three full years of pandemic restrictions. Having lifted all travel restrictions, Hong Kong is now back to business with a fresh start,â Ms Szeto said.
Hong Kong resumed its seamless connection to Mainland China, which brings advantages across all business sectors. âThe good news is that Mainland China is also resuming its economic activities and connection with the rest of the world. Chinaâs return to the world map will not only benefit Hong Kongâs exports and tourism, but also drive up consumption and investment in the region. As Hong Kong regains its momentum and strengths as an international financial, trade and logistics centre, our economy is expected to see a visible rebound this year,â Ms Szeto emphasised.
In closing her speech, Ms Szeto invited the guests to visit Hong Kong and experience the unique East-meets-West culture and seize opportunities under the âOne Country, Two Systemsâ principle.
While Warsaw and Berlin enjoyed the privilege to be among the first cities in Central and Eastern Europe where HKETO Berlin celebrated the Chinese New Year with the government, business and cultural communities, more receptions will be held in Budapest, Zurich, Ljubljana, Bratislava, Vienna and Prague in the weeks ahead. Hong Kong music talents from the Ponte Orchestra were invited to perform classical and modern pieces at the receptions, showcasing Hong Kongâs diverse music scene.
HKETO Berlin is the official representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in commercial relations and other economic and trade matters in Germany as well as Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Switzerland.
H.E. Mr Selçuk Ănal is the Ambassador of the Republic of TĂŒrkiye in The Kingdom of the Netherlands. He presented his Letters of Credence to HM King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands on 15th February 2023.
Ambassador Selçuk Ănal, a career diplomat, studied International Relations at Ankara University. He began his career at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1992, at the Western Europe Department. Afterwards, he was posted as Third Secretary to the Turkish Embassy in Doha (1995-1997), and then as Second Secretary at the Turkish Embassy in Dublin (1997-2000). At headquarters, he worked at the  Middle East-Iraqi Department as First Secretary (2000-2002).
H.E. Mr Selçuk Ănal, Ambassador of the Republic of TĂŒrkiye in The Kingdom of the Netherlands.
He was Counsellor at the Turkish Permanent Mission to the UN Office in Geneva (2002-2006), which was followed by a tour in Ankara as Head of Department and Deputy Special Advisor to the Foreign Minister (2006-2008). He was posted as Counsellor at the Turkish Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York (2008-2010).
H.E. Mr Selçuk Ănal is the Ambassador of the Republic of TĂŒrkiye.
Back in Ankara, he was the Deputy Director General of Information and Press Department and Spokesperson of the Ministry (2010-2013) and then Deputy Director General, Special Adviser to the Foreign Minister (2013-2014). In September 2014, he was appointed Ambassador to Canada, a post he concluded in December 2018. Before assuming the post as Ambassador in The Hague, Mr Selçuk Ănal served in Ankara as Ambassador, Director General for Syria (2019-2023).
Ambassador Selçuk Ănal speaks the following languages: English (Excellent), French (Intermediate), Arabic (Beginner).
A cordial welcome to Ambassador Selçuk Ănal and best wishes during your stay in the Netherlands.
Tuesday, 14 February 2023, DĂŒsseldorf, NRW, Germany: Premier Hendrik WĂŒst received the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland, Dariusz PawĆoĆ at the State Chancellery.Â
Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Federal and European Affairs, International Affairs and Media and Head of the State Chancellery, also took part in the conversation. The topic of the discussion was the strengthening of the relationship between North Rhine-Westphalia and Poland, especially against the background of the Russian war of aggression against the Ukraine and its consequences for North Rhine-Westphalia, Poland and Europe.
Premier Hendrik WĂŒst said as per statement linked below in its original German-language version: “The relations between North Rhine-Westphalia and Poland are deeply rooted in the history of our countries. The Russian war of aggression on Ukraine brings us even closer together. We are united by the common and non-negotiable goal of providing comprehensive support to Ukraine at many different levels. At the same time, we also want to build a bridge to the future together on other topics: the transformation of energy supply, decarbonisation of industry, the digital economy, sustainable supply chains and securing skilled labour are high on our bilateral agenda.
Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Federal and European Affairs, International Affairs and Media and Head of the State Chancellery: “We have a close partnership and friendship with Poland in the heart of Europe. For more than 20 years, North Rhine-Westphalia has maintained a lively, regional partnership with Silesia, which is supported and lived every day not only at the political level, but above all by municipalities, associations, schools, experts and artists. I am particularly impressed by the joint civil society commitment of our countries to Ukraine. The state government would like to recognise this in particular with the Richeza Prize, which is being awarded for the fifth time.”
North Rhine-Westphalia has maintained multifaceted and friendly relations with the Republic of Poland for many years. This year, the Richeza Prize will be awarded for the fifth time. Since 2009, the North Rhine-Westphalian government has been supporting and promoting understanding, dialogue and civic exchange between the people of Poland and North Rhine-Westphalia.
Background North Rhine-Westphalia and Poland
The state of North Rhine-Westphalia has had close ties with Poland for many years. Approximately 220,000 Polish citizens and over 650,000 people of Polish origin live in North Rhine-Westphalia. In addition, Poland ranks seventh in the list of North Rhine-Westphalia’s most important trading partners, with a trade volume of over 23 billion euros.
Culturally and socially, there is also a close exchange that is lived out in numerous municipal partnerships, including Cologne – Katowice, DĂŒsseldorf – Warsaw, Essen – Zabrze or Rhein-Kreis Neuss – MikoĆĂłw District. In 2021, the more than 20-year-old regional partnership with the Silesian Voivodeship was renewed. Since 2019, there has also been a partnership between the Katowice metropolitan region and the Ruhr Regional Association, which are dedicated to local public transport, among other things.
The Hague, on 8 December 2022, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Guatemala and the Permanent Court of Arbitration signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. A memorandum of cooperation aims among other things to promote mutual assistance and the sharing of expertise.
The PCA is an intergovernmental organization providing a variety of dispute resolution services to international parties from around the world.The Court of Arbitration or the Permanent Court of Arbitration often referred to as the PCA. Its headquarter is at the Peace Palace in The Hague.
Mr. Marcin Czepelak, Secretary General, of the Permanent Court of Arbitration and H.E. Mr. Mario Adolfo BĂșcaro Flores, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Guatemala.
Representing the PCA, Mr. Marcin Czepelak, Secretary-General, Mr Martin Doe, Senior Legal Counsel, Mr. Markel EguiluzParte, Assistant Legal Counsel, and Ms. Ana Escobar, Assistant Legal Counsel
Representing Guatemala, H.E. Mr.Mario Adolfo BĂșcaro Flores, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Lesther Antonio Ortega Lemus, Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of the Republic of Guatemala in The Hague.
H.E. Mr. Mario Adolfo BĂșcaro Flores, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Guatemala., Mr. Marcin Czepelak, Secretary General, of the Permanent Court of Arbitration and Mr. Lesther Antonio Ortega Lemus, Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of the Republic of Guatemala in The Hague.
The meeting started with a guided tour of the Peace Palace by Mr Doe. Subsequently, the Guatemala delegation joined the PCA Secretary-General in the Small Hall of Justice for the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation.
H.E. Mr Mario Adolfo BĂșcaro Flores, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, visited The Hague from 7th to 9th December 2022. BĂșcaro Flores visit included heading Guatemalaâs Delegation to the Assembly of States Parties of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and filing Guatemalaâs Reply in the case concerning Guatemalaâs Territorial, Insular and Maritime Claim(Guatemala-Belize) before the International Court of Justice(ICJ)
However, the highlight of Minister Mario Adolfo BĂșcaro Floresâsvisit was the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Permanent Court of Arbitration during a work meeting with PCAâs Secretary General Mr Marcin Czepelak.
Lesther Ortega Lemus and Secretary General, Marcin Czepelak.
H.E. Mr Mario Adolfo BĂșcaro Flores, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Guatemala and Ambassador Fernando Arias, Director-General of the OPCW. Photography by OPCW.
Minister Mario Adolfo BĂșcaro Flores can look back on a successful mission to The Hague.
