By Frans Scholten and Edwin Verhage. In the ten years of its existence, the Police’s Diplomatic Front Office (DFO) Unit The Hague has proven its value as a central point of contact for the diplomatic corps and representatives of international organizations. The office has been able to develop itself as a crucial contact point and has provided advice and information on the services of The Hague’s Police in general, as well as on security related questions. The Diplomatic Front Office maintains contacts with representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organizations. The office’s employees can answer specific questions in the field of security, guarding and prevention, as well as a number of other issues. Besides acting as a liaison between the Police and the diplomatic community of The Hague, the office also maintains contacts with external partners such as the City Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the NCTV (National Coordinator on Counterterrorism and Security). The Diplomatic Front Office uses factual information to inform and advice the diplomatic offices and international organization in the field of security measures. In order to be able to operate in an optimal way, actors such as the Police, the embassies and the International Organizations must exchange information in an appropriate manner. The Diplomatic Front Office is based at the unit office of Burgemeester Patijnlaan, The Hague, and the department consists of four employees. Frans Scholten has been working at the DFO for about 8 years as a liaison officer. He began his career with the police in 1983, and since then he has held various positions in the fields of surveillance, crisis and conflict management. Edwin Verhage joined the police in 1981, working in the surveillance service. He then went on working at the DKDB and as a team leader in explosives exploration. He has been working at the DFO for 4 years as a liaison officer. Maurice Tholen  begun his police career in 1999 with the Railway Police and later with the National Unit. He also worked as a team chief at the Department of Guard and Security and he is now a business supporter at DFO. Rita Vuurens joined the Guard and Security Department in 1995, and she held various monitoring functions there. Within DFO she is often the first point of contact for all external partners, and she also performs a number of administrative tasks. Dynamic Diplomatic Surveillance The police has various option to guard a building. The most visible method of monitoring is the “monitoring container”. The advantage of this method lies in its 24-hours-a-day activity, but the disadvantage is that the observation from the monitoring container is limited. Another method is monitoring by means of Sharpened Driving supervision through an armoured vehicle, with the building being monitored at least twice per hour. This method allows for a much broader observation of the environment, but the observation is not permanent. Such observation is nevertheless carried out 24 hours a day. There is also the possibility of monitoring a building using cameras. On the desk of the Department of Guard and Security, there is a monitoring centre, where images are viewed 24/7. Through this method, there is always a good image of the space around the building, without any police being on the site. In addition to these monitoring measures, there is the Dynamic Diplomatic Surveillance (DDS). The purpose of this form of surveillance is to supervise dynamically and unpredictably all diplomatic buildings within the scope of The Hague’s unit. The DDS can also give extra attention to specific temporary activities of an embassy or an International Organization. The DDS is equipped with marked surveillance vehicles. These vehicles are different from the standard police cars as to their colour and stripes, and they display the text “Dynamic Diplomatic Surveillance” underlining their special task. The concept of the DDS includes DDS patrol units 24 hours per day. The DDS has been integrated into the Police Central Control Room system, and it can be deployed whenever a situation demands so. In certain circumstances, urgent help is not necessary, for instance regarding the security of a diplomatic mission or an international organization. For emergencies, the alarm number is 112. The Diplomatic Front Office can be reached by telephone 24 hours a day. During office hours, one of the employees of the DFO will be present, while outside office hours the incoming call will be received by the Sharpened Driving supervision through an armoured vehicle, This person can also take the first steps in case of urgent matters. ——————————————– Photography by Remco Kuiper.

Ambassador Imtiaz Ahmed (Bangladesh) and President of BVMW Prof. Dr. h.c. Mario Ohoven – Picture by Embassy of Bangladesh to Germany. By H.E. Ambassador Imtiaz Ahmed, Head of Mission of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to the Federal Republic of Germany. Women´s economic empowerment is an inevitable part of development discourse. Institutionalization of sustainable development process excluding women from the mainstream development programme is inconceivable and will not support sustainable economic growth. Existing sex ratio in the demographic structure of Bangladesh indicates that women comprise almost 50% of the total population and are an essential part of human resources. It is impossible to achieve the target of a poverty-free society without the participation of women in the mainstream economy. Considering the fact, even given the robust socio-economic development of Bangladesh; the Government of Bangladesh has given special emphasis with all stakeholders including development partners through different interventions to ensure increased women´s participation in the formal economic sector, especially in business and industry. As Germany is one of the most important and reliable development partners of Bangladesh, recently a delegation of Ministry of Commerce of Bangladesh led by Mr. Munir Chowdhury, Director General of WTO Cell of the Ministry visited Germany mid-December 2018 in order to discuss the development issues to enhance knowledge as well as sharing experiences focusing on cooperation from Germany on the SMEs and Women Entrepreneurship Development in Bangladesh.

The orientation, meeting arranged in different institutions yet the Federal Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises of Germany (BVMW) in particular enhanced the understanding of the challenges of women entrepreneurship development. The delegation has acquired first hand information on the state supports/incentives to women entrepreneurs, women networking on domestic and cross-border including business model, how SMEs work in Germany, etc. For further information: 

• Federal Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises of Germany (President Prof. Mario Ohoven): https://www.bvmw.de/international/
• Ministry of Commerce of Bangladesh (H.E. Minister Tofail Ahmed): https://mincom.gov.bd

By Corneliu Pivariu. Motto: “Tomorrow has long ago became yesterday” –folk verse On 11th of November, 2018, Emmanuel Macron, the president of France delivered, at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, in front of more than 70 heads of state and government, a speech marking 100 years since the armistice which brought to an end the First World War and then, together with some of his counterparts,(one notable absence was the American president Donald Trump) and heads of international organisations (UN, UNESCO, OCDE, IMF, etc) signed a joint statement on the occasion of the first session of the Paris Peace Forum (a French initiative dated January, 2018, which seems of not enjoying too great an international attention). The end of the First World War heralded some important developments such as the end of the European empires and the emergence of the Soviet Union, the United States of America’s joining the great global powers, which was a reference in the world history and which, nevertheless, contributed to triggering the Second World War. Despite the French president’s desire to offer a dovish image of the world, we noticed that the struggle for the world supremacy is underway and the developments of the last years proved us that nothing of what we considered to be the pillars of the post-Second World War is any longer guaranteed but, on the contrary, the danger of the Third World War’s breaking out is increasing. President Macron stated in his 11th of November speech, inter alia, that “patriotism is exactly the opposite of nationalism”, a statement we find repeated and shared by many formations and personalities who are firm believers of globalism without frontiers and which, due to considerations we do not elaborate on here, we think it is a forced one. At the same time, we mention here the speech of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Brussels, on 4th of December, at the German Marshall Fund, entitled ”Restoring the Role of the Nation-state within the International Liberal Order”. In fact, the current leaders of the democratic world are not feeling well in their positions, the president Macron is confronted with a vehement opposition concealed behind the yellow waistcoats which is an uprising against globalism and against not caring at all about the situation of those with small and medium incomes, Donald Trump is further confronted with a strong political opposition backed by a great part of the American media, Angela Merkel will pass the hat after almost two decades of leading Germany, Theresa May is not feeling well either in Great Britain and the European Union’s leadership in Brussels do not succeed in finding viable and pragmatic solutions to the situation they are faced with. The current situation is illustrated by a publicly issued map ever since the summer of 2014 (we remind that in 2006, an American researcher published a map of the New Middle East). Some of the important changes: the emergence of New Russia (with separatist regions Donetsk and Luhansk, all Ukraine’s south on the Black Sea and the Transnistrian region included); Poland’s amputation by Germany and the emergence of a new Galitia state (with territories taken over mainly from Poland and Ukraine); Belgium’s disappearance (Wallonia remaining only), while the Flemish region is included in The Netherlands; Italy is divided between North and South, the Basque Country and Catalunya emerge in Spain, the Greater Albania emerges as well, Turkey takes over part of South-East Bulgaria while Hungary takes part of Western Romania (Banat and part of Transylvania). These would be some of the modifications liable to be visible yet we should not forget that globally the struggle for supremacy is waged between the states’ political and military power and the corporations’ political and economic power. What is more worrying is the corporations’ long-term policy focussed on destroying the family’s, marriage and parenting traditional norms to the benefit of individual autonomy, of devising an egoistical identity and of a lifestyle excluding the familial commitments on a longer term. A detrimental option on a long run of those corporations. The brightening future is not ours and it seems that tomorrow has long ago became yesterday. Nevertheless, we believe that it is up to us all to retrieve it and to find each other for avoiding a new catastrophic war. ——————— About the author: Corneliu Pivariu, former first deputy for military intelligence (two stars general) in the Romanian MoD, retired 2003. Member of IISS – London, alumni of Harvard – Kennedy School Executive Education and others international organizations. Founder of INGEPO Consulting, and bimonthly Bulletin, Geostrategic Pulse”. Main areas of expertise – geopolitics, intelligence and security. ————-

About the author:

Corneliu Pivariu Military Intelligence and International Relations Senior Expert A highly decorated retired two-star general of the Romanian army, during two decades he has led one of the most influential magazines on geopolitics and international relations in Eastern Europe, the bilingual journal Geostrategic Pulse.

By Wayne Jordash QC and Catriona Murdoch. The ‘F’ word is back in use, famines have returned. In 2017 the UN identified four situations of acute food insecurity that threatened famine or breached that threshold, in north-eastern Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen. In December 2018 famine was formally declared across regions of Yemen. Starvation is also being used as a weapon of war in Syria. We have also seen how food and humanitarian aid is being manipulated, obstructed and politicised in the Gaza Strip and in Venezuela. Starvation Crimes – an umbrella term coined by Alex de Waal to encompass a range of (non-exhaustive) criminal conduct intended to deprive people of items necessary for sustaining human life – are at the heart of the problem. Every instance of famine or acute food insecurity today is at its core man-made and this criminal and reckless behaviour is responsible for widespread and systematic death, injury and suffering worldwide. As 2019 begins and the number of victims spirals into the millions, we must urgently address how we can strengthen our collective response to deter such conduct. The current and collective scale of suffering and death as a result of these crimes is unprecedented in modern history: Yemen alone promises to be the most severe famine in living memory. Yet recognition of the deliberate nature of famine, attribution of fault and accountability remains elusive. We at the start of a long road to criminalise starvation in a way that properly recognises the causes, identifies the culprits and correctly labels their crimes. Despite the birth of modern international criminal law over the last 25 years, there has been a dearth of prosecutions for starvation crimes. As we have seen with all kinds of international crimes, the relevant conduct needs to move beyond the confines of the battlefield and the classroom and into the courtroom. Then the relevant law may be identified, clarified, codified and developed so that a belligerent warlord or a government supplying arms used to starve become fearful of its reach. A significant barrier and indeed weakness of the crime of starvation under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (‘ICC’) in its present form, is that it only applies in an international-armed conflict (‘IAC’). This excludes nearly all of the current conflicts, including Syria, Yemen and South Sudan enduring mass starvation. Given the international customary law clarity around its criminalisation in both conflict designations, as recently reflected in UNSC 2417, it is more than ripe for amendment. In April 2018, Switzerland proposed an amendment to article 8 of the Rome Statute on the “Inclusion of starvation as a war crime in non-international armed conflicts (‘NIAC’) into the Rome Statute”. It has much to commend it. Unfortunately, time was against the Swiss proposal and in October 2018, the amendment decision was postponed to the 18^th Session of the ICC’s Assembly of State Parties in 2019, to allow for a thorough discussion by the Working Group. There was no principled basis for omitting to include it in the Rome Statute from the outset. Given the escalating criminality in NIACs, there is now, more than ever, an urgent need to correct this mistake. Filling this accountability gap will strengthen enforcement worldwide and will provide a platform for further global action. Many European countries appear receptive to these developments, including the Netherlands, who not only unanimously pushed through UNSC 2417, but matched words with deeds and altered their domestic legislation ahead of UNSC 2417’s vote in May, to ensure that the crime of starvation may be prosecuted in both a NIAC and an IAC. At least eight other countries have already removed the arbitrary distinction that remains in the Rome Statute. The ICC is a court of last resort. It is states that need to show leadership on the issue and ensure that their laws are fit for purpose and may be used to prosecute under universal jurisdiction principles and also to ensure accountability for their own citizens or corporations misbehaviour. The increasing use of universal jurisdiction across the globe, including Argentina’s recent commencement of its investigation into the role of Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in torture and war crimes in Yemen, shows that we should not assume the impunity of the powerful, especially where responsible states, civil society organizations and the public join hands to protect those in need. Of course, starvation trials, whilst long overdue, are not a panacea. International and national justice is but one part of the journey. We must look more broadly at the full range of transitional justice tools, including truth, reparations, reform and guarantees of non-recurrence. However, we must first deal with the misconceptions surrounding starvation that (conveniently) lapse into inertia and fatalism, painting starvation as a force majeure, or due to climate change, poverty or even legitimate military action. None of these excuses stand up to scrutiny or begin to address the unforgivable pain and suffering visited upon the innocent. Our collective determination should be to make mass starvation unthinkable. We must aim to increase the likelihood that global leaders in a position to inflict or fail to prevent mass starvation, act to avoid it. We need to work cooperatively to ensure that starvation is not viewed as an inevitable consequence of war and that those who intend it will be held up to public reproach and condemnation. For those leaders who refuse to alter course, they must pay the price. As 2019 begins we need to act now to ensure the millions of famine victims have a voice and some form of redress. ———- For more information on the Project please visit www.starvationaccountability.org. For more information on the Project Partners please visit www.globalrightscompliance.com and https://sites.tufts.edu/wpf/. ————– About the authors:

Wayne Jordash Qc Wayne Jordash QC is an international humanitarian law (‘IHL’) expert with experience across the globe, regularly advising governments on human rights and IHL compliance, including the Bangladeshi, Libyan, Serbian, Ukrainian and Vietnamese governments. He is a managing partner of Global Rights Compliance, where he leads a group of international lawyers working to provide advisory services to international organisations, government officials and business enterprises on international law.  Wayne is an internationally recognised expert in the global network of international tribunals, including at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in relation to allegations of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. He has served as an advocate in international criminal proceedings before the International Criminal Court (‘ICC’), International Court of Justice (‘ICJ’), International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (‘ICTR’), Special Court for Sierra Leone (‘SCSL’), and is currently appointed as lead counsel at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (‘ECCC’) and the United Nations Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (‘MICT’). Wayne is ranked as a leading silk in both the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners, where he was recommended as “one of the world’s leading international criminal lawyers”.  

Called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2009, a member of 1 Crown Office Row Chambers in England. Catriona has practiced across several of the international criminal tribunals and courts, advising on crimes arising out of the Rwandan Genocide, the war in the former Yugoslavia, the Iraq war, the current conflicts in Yemen and Syria. Domestically she is instructed in European Convention of Human Rights claims. She is widely published in international criminal law. She is based in The Hague appointed to the cases of Jovica Stanišić and Alfred Musema before the UN Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT). Catriona is ranked as a leading junior in both the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners, recommended as “a star of the future.” “She has the totality of the evidence at her fingertips and works extraordinarily hard.”Catriona joined Global Rights Compliance (GRC) in 2016, she leads the “Accountability for Mass Starvation: Testing the Limits of the Law”. 

Do colonial artefacts from 55 African countries have to be returned by museums in the Netherlands and beyond? If so, what is the (legal) basis for restitution? By Paul W.L. Russell, LL.M. Since the recent publication of a French report commissioned by the French President on the above question, France has made a modest start in returning colonial art from French museums. The debate on this matter has been underway for some time. The French President considered the “theft” of art from African countries “a crime against humanity”. This was the reason for him to return colonial art from French museums. His motto is, France will face its past, France recognizes the crimes from the past and France comes to term with it, and thus France will again be on equal footing with the 55 African countries. The President of France cries out against theft of African cultural heritage, but at the same time, he says that many artefacts have been preserved because of this theft! Is colonial art looted art? A multitude of legal issues are in play in restitution of African heritage and play a major role in this: When and under which circumstances was this art purchased, by whom and how? In what way was this documented (or not) and administered in the country of origin and the museums in this country? Or is to be established that this cannot be established anymore? How do these transactions have to be qualified? How about the limitation period which is one of the pillars of legal certainty in trade in the Western world? Did the countries of origin ever request restitution? To name but a few aspects. Does this always concern African cultural heritage or looted art? And how is “looted art” and African cultural heritage to be described in a legally correct way, both nationally and internationally? Can countries mutually agree on criteria or will the legal issues be treated per country and per object? The conclusion that all art from Africa is cultural heritage, originates from theft and therefore “is looted art” is way too simplistic, although many cases might have borne marks pertaining to this. But how do you look for and find an internationally accepted criterion (as the Washington Principles regarding World War II looted art) to treat equal cases equally and settle them? International discussion The discussion about African heritage is expanding across Europe. In the beginning of December 2018, Congo demanded from Belgium to return its heritage when the renewed Africa Museum located in Tervuren near Brussels reopened. Restitution of colonial cultural heritage to African governments is no longer taboo for Belgium. This is what Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium and Minister of Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo said when the Africa Museum was reopened. Collectors and dealers It is a matter of time that these issues will be discussed in the Netherlands in a similar way and everyone owning colonial cultural heritage is well-advised to work out his or her position in this, also in this respect, changing world. ———————– About the author: Paul Russell is a lawyer for international and national businesses, art dealers, museums, and affluent individuals. He specializes in corporate governance, contracts and corporate litigation. He has been a lawyer at Russell since 1976.   @: paul.russell@russell.nl  t: +31 20 301 55 55

Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Buenos Aires, the stylish and cosmopolitan capital of Argentina, has been a dream for millions of Europeans, mostly Italians, but also Spaniards, Germans, and French, as well as for a great number of South American people. Buenos Aires is also home to the world’s seventh-largest Jewish community, the largest in Latin America, with Jews starting to arrive in the country as early as the 16th century.

Big waves of migration from Europe came before and after the great wars when people moved to the southernmost part of America to start a new life. Such migrations are still happening today, and it is not rare to find freshly arrived Italian couples relocating in town.

What a town! The indescribable Buenos Aires is a mix of Italian traditions, in a French style city, with Spanish-speaking people.

Large avenues lined with 19th century buildings, large sidewalks and big parks covered by old big trees and flowers, plazas with fountains and marble statues, thousands of boutiques and unique stores selling own designs, from bags to clothing, from footwear and children outfits to fourrures, giving the impression that store chains do not exist here, leaving space to a sense of fashion, particularity and uniqueness at every step.

Bookstores of old and new volumes, from the illustrious Ateneo to small stalls on the sidewalk, open until 2 am, are everywhere in commercial areas and neighbourhoods. Argentina is the leading country in the world for printing Spanish books, it is the biggest editorial market in Latin America, and the leading host of bookstores as compared to any other place in the world.

Also, restaurants and cafes are always open, allowing you to decide whether to go for dinner at 11 pm or to take a drink after midnight. It is up to you to decide if it is late night or early morning, and people coming from parties blend with people going to work every day in the vibrant streets of Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires is also rich in theatres of different kinds, from the Teatro Colón, a grand 1908 opera house with 2,500 seats, to small theatres for 20 or 30 people.

Over 287 theatres, both modern and classical, are scattered around the city: ballets, operas, dramas, cinemas, classical theatre, avant-garde or Broadway-style performances run full-house in downtown Buenos Aires and in the theatre district on Corrientes Avenue, Abasto, Palermo, San Telmo, as well as in many other areas of the city.

Antique

Not only Buenos Aires hosts over 160 museums and more football stadiums than any other city in the world, but the city is also the birthplace of acclaimed literary titan Jorge Luis Borges, as well as of tango. The city’s dance halls, bars and nightclubs are open every day of the week.

Tango is much more than a dance: it is a way of dress, of moving, of walking, it is profound music, it is a way of life. And all of this is expressed in Buenos Aires. Declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, tango is deeply embedded in Argentina’s cultural identity.

Dilyor Khakimov, Ambassador de Uzbekistan. Interview of H.E. Mr. Dilyor Khakimov, Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Benelux countries.: “Our cooperation with Luxembourg has been quite active”.   By Adelin Remy. Mr. Ambassador, I understand that the economy of Uzbekistan has performed very well last year. What are the updated figures? In 2018, the GDP growth in Uzbekistan is expected at 5.2% and in 2019 at 5.4%. Inflation is to be at 16–17%, in 2019 13.5–15.5%, and in 2020 10–12%. Starting from 2021, annual inflation is expected to reach single-digit values. Over the last two years, Uzbekistan concluded agreements on the implementation of 182 investment projects worth 17 billion $. Uzbekistan announced the year 2018 as the Year of support of active entrepreneurship, innovative ideas and technologies. Uzbekistan intends to join the top 50 of the Global Innovation Index by 2030. What were the main direct investments in 2017? Key areas which attract foreign investments are oil and gas, textiles, pharmaceuticals, automobile industry, agriculture, processing, building materials, electrotechnical materials, chemical industry, tourism, etc. However, at the moment, Uzbekistan is witnessing a high level of state presence in the economy, bureaucracy, certain problems in taxation and customs areas and banking system. We believe these factors hamper the growth of domestic investments and wider attraction of foreign capital. What are the main economic priorities? Given the current situation and in order to give a push to the development of the economy and increase the investment attractiveness of the country, Uzbekistan adopted the concept of improving the tax policy. Much work has been done on its drafting. The draft concept has passed a wide and comprehensive public discussion in the country with the participation of the business community, international financial institutions, and renowned experts. On the basis of this concept, important changes are being made in the tax policy of the State. Instead of the maximum income tax rate that was still in force and stood at 22.5%, the personal income tax rate was introduced at 12%, and 8% insurance deductions were abolished. The high single social payment rate has been reduced from 25% to 12%. Mandatory deductions in the amount of 3.2% to the Extra-Budgetary Pension Fund, trust road and educational funds were abolished. The rates of customs payments were revised and the size of duties was reduced for almost 3,500 types of goods, the excise tax rate on goods was reduced for about 800 items. Raw materials, equipment and equipment not produced in Uzbekistan and imported for the organization of production will not be subject to state duties. Scheduled inspections of financial and economic activities of business entities have been cancelled. The requirements for obtaining 138 types of licenses and permits have been simplified, 42 of them have been completely abolished. In order to eliminate obstacles and barriers, manifestations of corruption in the allocation of land plots for business, a procedure has been introduced to acquire them through an electronic auction. The procedure for a full compensation of damage caused to the property of investors and entrepreneurs has been guaranteed. It also provides for the exemption of entrepreneurs from the payment of income tax and the single tax payment for the export of products, works and services starting from next year. Targeted work continues to accelerate the development of tourism, further improve the quality of services, effectively utilize the tourist potential of the regions and create jobs, form new national tourism products. Next year we will continue to work to reduce the level of inflation, comprehensively support active entrepreneurship, and create wide opportunities for investors. What are the social priorities? In early 2017, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree on Uzbekistan’s Action Strategy on Five Priority Development Areas for 2017-2021, which was developed on the basis of comprehensive study of topical issues, analysis of the current legislation, law enforcement practices and the best international practices, and following public discussion. The document envisages that the timely and effective implementation of the development strategy is the top priority of all government agencies and their officials. The Strategy sets out the following five priority areas:

• improving the system of state and public construction;
•  ensuring the rule of law and further reforming of the judicial system;
•  economic development and liberalization;
• development of the social area;
• ensuring security, inter-ethnic harmony and religious tolerance, as well as the implementation of balanced, mutually beneficial and constructive foreign policy.

Based on the tasks set out in this strategy of action, as well as proposals from citizens received during the 2017 Year of the Dialogue with the People, we must solve the following key issues in the social sphere. First, it is necessary to ensure compliance of the social protection model in force in Uzbekistan with generally accepted international standards and modern requirements. It is noteworthy that our country pays great attention to the support of people with disability, who lost their breadwinners, socially vulnerable and low-income families, in particular, providing them with affordable housing. This year alone over 21.500 families have received affordable houses. Second, it is essential to strengthen social support for medical workers, create decent working conditions and improve the incentive system. Since December 1, 2018, we have increased their wages, and this is only the first step. We will continue to fully support medical personnel. In the future, in order to provide guaranteed medical services to the population, we must introduce a system of compulsory medical insurance. Third, taking into account the advanced foreign experience it is necessary to revise the educational standards and teaching methods in the field of public education from the point of view of identifying the individual abilities of students. Fourth, development of vocational education. Fifth, we need to undertake urgent measures to ensure employment and reduce unemployment. Sixth, we have to enhance the work on the construction of affordable houses on updated model projects in rural areas and apartment houses in cities. How have the relations of Uzbekistan with the European Union developed recently? On November 22, in Brussels, we held the 14th session of Uzbekistan-EU Cooperation Council. The Uzbek delegation was led by Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov. At the meeting, we emphasized that Uzbekistan considers the EU as one of our key partners on the world stage, which makes a significant contribution to the promotion of the universal values of democracy, protection of human rights, preservation of peace, stability and universal sustainable development. We believe that it is important for us to have an exchange of views on the prospects for further strengthening cooperation between the EU and Uzbekistan in the context of dynamic transformations and creating a completely new atmosphere of trust and constructive cooperation in the region of Central Asia. In this regard, we believe that cooperation with the EU should be carried out in accordance with the new conditions for the development of Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan attaches great importance to the development of mutually beneficial cooperation with the EU and its member countries and stands for the further development of our relations in all areas. Key areas of cooperation with European countries are trade, investment and financial cooperation, high-tech transfer, cooperation in science, technology, education, environment, tourism, health and culture, as well as strengthening regional security. The Uzbek side is ready to contribute to the successful development of a new EU Strategy for Central Asia and looks forward to the beginning and early completion of negotiations on a new Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. We also hope to receive the status of GSP+ (NdlR: The GSP allows developing countries to pay fewer or no duties on exports to the EU, giving them vital access to the EU market and contributing to their growth) and count on the EU’s expertise in assisting us to joining the World Trade Organization (WTO). We reaffirm the principle position that the Uzbek side is interested in strengthening and developing relations with the EU at all levels of interaction on the principles of equality, mutual benefit, respect and consideration for each other’s interests. In our opinion, the EU needs to turn its attention to the fast-growing and enormous potential of Asian markets, including Uzbekistan, which is among the top five most rapidly developing economies in the world. It is necessary to intensify bilateral trade and investment relations with European companies for the implementation of promising projects implemented in our country. The signing of an agreement between Uzbekistan and the European Investment Bank will undoubtedly open up new opportunities for further cooperation. How have the relations of Uzbekistan with Luxembourg developed recently? Our cooperation with Luxembourg has been quite active. We are maintaining political, parliamentary, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation. There has been a number of mutual visits on the ministerial level, as well as through parliaments of the two countries. We welcome the fact that in Central Asia, Luxembourg gives priority to the development of bilateral and multilateral relations with Uzbekistan. The legal framework of trade and economic relations of Uzbekistan and Luxembourg is based on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and the Republic of Uzbekistan, of the other part, concluded on June 21, 1996. During the 8 months of 2018, trade turnover of Uzbekistan with Luxembourg amounted 3.6 million €, which, we should admit, is a quite modest figure. At the moment, 12 companies with Luxembourg capital are operating in Uzbekistan. ————

About the author: Adelin Remy, editor of Agefi – Le Journal Financier de Luxembourg, the only exclusively financial newspaper in Luxembourg