Parliamentary exchanges between Delattre & Bas 

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Parliamentary exchanges between Delattre & Bas 

Wednesday, 24 May 2023, Berlin, Germany: The French Republic’s Ambassador in Germany, François Delattre was welcomed for a tête-à-tête by the Speaker of the Federal Parliament (Bundestag), Bärbel Bas, a top politician from the Social Democratic Party. Speaker Bas is in office since 26 October 2021, and joined the Bundestag back in 2009.

Parliamentary diplomacy is an important component of an embassy’s mission in a given foreign country. Germany maintains a bilateral parliamentary system, with a Bundestag elected directly by the electorate as well as one upper chamber representing the German federal states, or Bundesländer, 16 in total.

Whereas France is also home to a bicameral legislature, namely a National Assembly (Assemblée nationale) with 577 seats as well as a 348-seat Senate, the upper house; elected partially by the country’s local councillors (in indirect elections) as well as by representatives of French citizens living abroad. Yaël Braun-Pivet is the incumbent National Assembly President. 

For further information 
French National Assembly: https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr

International Yoga Day 2023

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International Yoga Day 2023


The 9th edition of the International Day of Yoga will be celebrated in nine cities
The Embassy of India in the Netherlands and the Gandhi Centrum invite one and all to participate in this year’s event.

The events are organized by yoga enthusiasts, institutes, foundations and local community organizations in collaboration with the Embassy of India and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

Yoga is an ancient tradition from India that combines physical, mental and spiritual practices to achieve harmony between body and mind. It is practiced by millions of people around the world.

Yoga Day The Hague 2016

On December 11, 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 21 International Day of Yoga (IDY). The draft resolution establishing the International Day of Yoga was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states. The proposal was first introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address at the opening of the 69th session of the General Assembly, in which he said: “Yoga is an invaluable gift from the ancient tradition of India. It embodies the unity of mind and body; thinking and doing; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but about discovering the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature”. The first IDY was celebrated around the world on June 21, 2015.

International Yoga Day by the Embassy of India 2018.

The Embassy of India in the Netherlands has been celebrating IDY every year since 2015. The IDY events planned for this year are at VU University on June 03, Utrecht on June 10, Eindhoven on June 11, Amstelveen on June 17, The Hague on June 18, Rotterdam on June 21, Roermond on June 24, Wageningen on June 25 and Leeuwarden on July 8.

More than 2000 people are expected to participate in these events.

For details see:

www.indianembassynetherlands.gov.in

The Gandhi Centre, cultural center of the Embassy of India, offers regular yoga classes. The center also organizes yoga events from time to time in different cities in schools and universities.

Chemical Industry of Uzbekistan Potential of the chemical industry

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Chemical Industry of Uzbekistan Potential of the chemical industry

By Mukhammadjon Rashidov

The chemical industry of Uzbekistan plays an important role not only in diversifying exports and strengthening the macroeconomic indicators of the republic, but also in providing the necessary products of other industries, and in meeting the vital needs of citizens. The number of consumers of chemical industry products includes agriculture, furniture, mining, electronic and electrical, oil and gas, construction, food industry and others.

To date, 44 enterprises and organizations operate in the system of JSC “Uzkimyosanoat”, of which 30 enterprises and organizations with a share of JSC “Uzkimyosanoat” in the authorized fund, 14 enterprises and organizations operating (associated) with JSC “Uzkimyosanoat”.

Currently, such large enterprises as JSC “Navoiazot”, JSC “Maxam-Chirchiq”, JSC “Fargonazot”, JSC “Ammophos-Maxam”, JSC “Dehkanabad Potash Plant”, JSC “Kungrad Soda Plant”, LLC “First Rubber Plant” and others operate in the Uzbek market. Today, the enterprises of JSC “Uzkimyosanoat” produce more than 180 types of chemical products.

Leading enterprises of the chemical industry

  • JSC “Navoiazot” has the following production capacities: ammonium nitrate — 950 thousand tons, carbamide — 577.5 thousand tons, PVC (polyvinyl chloride) — 100 thousand tons, methanol — 300 thousand tons, caustic soda — 75 thousand tons, etc.
  • JSC “Fargonazot” produces 530 thousand tons of ammonium nitrate, 400 thousand tons of urea, 20 thousand tons of sodium chlorate, 4.5 tons of sodium nitrate, 3.0 thousand tons of baking soda, etc.
  • JSC “Maxam-Chirchiq” produces 450,000 tons of ammonium nitrate, 270 thousand tons of urea, 294 thousand tons of ammonium sulfate, 60 thousand tons of low-density ammonium nitrate (LDAN) and others.
  • The capacity of JSC “Ammophos-Maxam” for the production of phosphorus fertilizers is 217.5 thousand tons.
  • In JSC “Dehkanabad Potash Plant” the production capacity for the potassium chloride is 600 thousand tons.
  • The capacity for the production of soda ash in LLC “Kungrad Soda Plant” is 200 thousand tons.
  • LLC “First Rubber Plant” has the following production capacities: automobile tires — 3.0 million units, agricultural tires — 200 thousand units, conveyor belt — 100 thousand linear meters.

Industry dynamics in 2022

Chemical enterprises in January-November 2022, produced products worth 14.4 trillion sums (growth rate — 108.1%). In particular, 1,424.4 thousand tons of mineral fertilizers were produced in pure form (growth — 102.5%), of which 1,097.5 thousand tons of nitrogen fertilizers (growth — 101.0%), 149.7 thousand tons of phosphorus fertilizers (growth — 118.9%) and 177.2 thousand tons of potash fertilizers (growth — 100%). The industry exported (to Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Russia, Japan, Turkey, China, Afghanistan and Thailand) chemical products worth $461.2 million (130% of the plan, 1.4 times more, compared to the same period last year).

According to the investment program, $170.9 million of investments should be disbursed in 20 investment projects in 2022, including: $60.0 million in the framework of the project “Organization of production of complex mineral fertilizers at the enterprise of JSC Samarqandkimyo”, $35.0 million in the framework of the project “Organization of production of polyvinyl chloride at JSC Navoiazot” (stage II), $37.3 million within the framework of the project “Production of dry cyanols at JSC Navoiazot” and $39.0 million at the expense of the enterprises’ own funds.

On February 3, 2022, the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. PP-116 “On measures to create a chemical-industrial technopark “Chirchiq” in the Tashkent region” was adopted. A joint project of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Tatarstan to create a chemical-industrial technopark “Chirchik” was launched in March last year. As part of this project, in 2022, Uzkimyosanoat JSC allocated funds in the amount of $18 million for the 1st stage of construction and installation works of technopark facilities, as a result of which 6 production units were built.

Currently, 16 projects totaling more than $50 million are being implemented in the technopark due to foreign direct investment. Thanks to the implementation of these projects, the production of over 30 new import-substituting goods with high added value will be mastered and 800 new jobs will be created. The production of such goods as polypropylene foam and products made of it, thermoplastic elastoplast and products made of it, fiberglass polymer products, fuel combustion catalysts for diesel engines, biofertilizers for plants, CPL panels for the furniture industry, stationery, charging stations for electric vehicles, cosmetics and household chemicals, medical simulators will be established.

Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. PP-388 dated October 10, 2022 “On approval of the Target Program for strategic development of the chemical and gas chemical industry” defines the creation of technological clusters “Navoi Chemical Technopark”, “Fergana Chemical Technopark” and “Karakalpakstan Chemical Technopark”, within which 44 investment projects will be launched in 2022-2027. As a result, about 4,000 new jobs will be created and the production of various chemical products with high added value will be ensured, as well as direct investments and foreign loans in the amount of $9.9 billion will be attracted. It is planned to establish production of methanol, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), monoethylene glycol (MEG), PVC, soda ash and other types of products in the new technoparks.

In total, at the end of last year, 1,467.9 thousand tons of mineral fertilizers should be produced, of which 1,114.2 thousand tons of nitrogen, 160.0 thousand tons of phosphorus, 193.7 thousand tons of potash fertilizers, the volume of production has been brought to 15.3 trillion sums (or 106.2% of the plan), and annual export figures — up to $473.2 million with over-fulfillment of the established plan by 118.1%.

Plans for 2023

In 2023, the volume of chemical industry goods is planned to reach the level of 18.5 trillion sums (growth — 112.0%). In total, 1605.7 thousand tons of mineral fertilizers in pure form will be produced (growth — 109.4%), of which: nitrogen — 1,217.6 thousand tons (growth — 109.3%), phosphorus — 160.1 thousand tons (growth — 100.1%), potash fertilizers — 228.0 thousand tons (growth — 117.7%).

In 2023, based on the investment program, $417.5 million of investments will be disbursed within the framework of 17 projects, in particular, $357.1 million of foreign direct investment and loans, 3 projects with a total cost of $280.0 million will be launched and 570 new jobs will be created.

At the same time, due to the launch of the project “Organization of a complex for the production of mineral fertilizers at JSC “Samarqandkimyo”, it is planned to produce 600 thousand tons of mineral fertilizers per year. As a result of the implementation of the project “Production of dry cyansols at JSC “Navoiazot”, 40 thousand tons of cyansols per year will be produced. The implementation of the project “Production of technical gas (CO2) on the basis of JSC “Navoiazot” will serve the annual production of technical gas in the amount of 20 thousand tons.

In 2023, the chemical industry enterprises of the republic plan to export products worth $492.9 million (an increase of 104.2%), including mineral fertilizers worth $390.6 million.

In accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. PP-388 dated October 10, 2022 “On approval of the Target Program for Strategic development of the chemical and gas chemical industry”, it is planned to implement measures to sell shares of JSC Fargonazot and JSC Dehkanabad Potash Plant, privatize the share of JSC Uzkimyosanoat in LLC Kyzylkum Phosphorite Complex, realization of a share in the authorized capital (100.0%) of LLC “First Rubber Plant”. The mechanism of work on the privatization of industrial enterprises and the continuation of transformation processes in the chemical industry has also been determined.

Conclusion

In order to establish the production of innovative chemical and biological plant protection products (herbicides, insecticides), seeds of field crops (corn, wheat, animal feed, etc.) in Uzbekistan, it is advisable to attract foreign investors with innovative technologies to the development of the industry to establish domestic production, since the share of imports of foreign chemical products in the domestic market will remain high.

Such well-known manufacturers of household chemicals as Bayer AG, Procter&Gamble, Henkel, Colgate-Palmolive, Amway, deserve special attention, taking into consideration that they have left the Russian market and with which it is possible to establish joint production of personal hygiene products, household chemicals (cosmetics, shampoos, shower gels and deodorants), washing powders and other products in Uzbekistan, as well as organize their export to other countries.

The foundation created in the industry in recent years is able to ensure the dynamics of sustainable growth of the potential of the chemical industry in the coming years.

At the same time, the creation of a solid base for the long-term consistent development of all areas of the chemical industry creates the need to accelerate the transformation of the sphere, taking into account the most advanced foreign experience. The acceleration of the privatization of large industrial enterprises of the chemical industry will make a great contribution to the development of the chemical industry.

About the author:

Mukhammadjon Rashidov, Center for Economic Research and Reforms[1] under the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan

[1] The Center for Economic Research and Reforms (CERR) under the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan is both a research center and an Accelerator of socio-economic reforms. CERR provides comments and advice on suggestions for socio-economic programming and policies by the Ministries to solve the main development issues in a swift, operational and efficient way. CERR is in the Central Asian Top-10 by the «Global Go To Think Tank Index Report 2020» (USA).

The Hague Academy of International Law Celebrated its 100th Anniversary

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The Hague Academy of International Law Celebrated its 100th Anniversary

A Centenary of the Hague Academy of International Law

By Roy Lie Atjam

The Hague Academy of International Law, housed in the Peace Palace, celebrated its 100th anniversary. Various international guests, including jurists, diplomats, politicians and prominent lawyers, attend a celebratory session on May 24th 2023.

The Hague Academy is a centre for education and research in the field of international public- and private law. The Academy is renowned for its summer and winter courses and has trained more than hundreds of future lawyers and diplomats, from around the globe. The first courses of the Hague Academy of International Law were in 1923.

Prof. Jean-Marc Thouvenin, Secretary-General of The Hague Academy of International Law.

It all began with Tobias Asser, the first Dutch national awarded the Nobel Peace Laureate in 1911. He contributed to the founding of The Hague Academy of International Law by donating part of his prize money. Asser is also the founder of The Hague Tradition. Tobias Asser was all means a diplomatic genius.

Speakers at the solemn sitting on the occasion of the centenary of the Academy were:

Prof. Jean-Marc Thouvenin, Secretary-General of the Academy, opened  the solemn sitting to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of The Hague Academy of International Law. He stated. “The founders of our institution understood that international civil society, whose foundation is international law, needed an institution like the Academy to better study, understand, disseminate and critique international law so that it could be improved and updated. The Academy has fulfilled this role very well and has occupied a unique position as a result.”

Mr Jan van Zanen, Mayor of The Hague.

Prof. Geneviève Bastid-Burdeau, former Secretary-General of the Academy

H.E. Mr. Paul van den IJssel, Ambassador for International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands.

Mr Jan van Zanen, Mayor of The Hague. In his remarks, he mentioned Tobias Asser strongly advocated for the Academy to be located in The Hague. The dissemination of knowledge and the training of new generations of jurists were matters dear to him.

Following a brief musical interlude the following speakers addressed the festive gathering.

Mr Piet Hein Donner, President of the Board of the Academy

H.E. Judge Peter Tomka, Judge at the International Court of Justice

H.E. Judge Hilary Charlesworth, Judge at the International Court of Justice

Mr. Peter Trooboff, Attorney at Law, Member of the Curatorium of the Academy from 1991 to 2019

Mr. Apollin Koagne Zouapet and Ms. Suzanne Zhou, Alumni of the Academy.

H.E. Mr. Mario Adolfo Búcaro Flores, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala and Professor, judge Yves Daudet.

On the occasion of the Centenary of The Hague Academy of International Law, the government of the Republic of Guatemala conferred the Orden del Mérito por Servicios Distinguidos, en grado de Gran Cruz, on The Hague Academy of International Law.

H.E. Mr. Mario Adolfo Búcaro Flores, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, presented the paraphernalia appertaining to the distinction to Professor and judge Yves Daudet, president of the curatorial of the Hague Academy.

Professor Yves Daudet, president of the curatorial of the Hague Academy, at the end of the conference, looked hopeful towards the future: “The Academy’s courses will continue to offer students a range of issues and reflections that complement the knowledge acquired at university. By opening themselves to innovative, sometimes ignored and elementary aspects, students will be able to organize their thoughts on a subject whose importance they have realized and learned to love, which is essential to practising the profession well.”

Upon departing, guests received a copy of the reference book 100th Anniversary.

A Reception generously supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Guatemala concluded the celebration of the  Centenary of the Hague Academy of International Law.

A Glimpse at History’s Most Expensive Qur’an

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A Glimpse at History’s Most Expensive Qur’an

By Prof. Richard T. Griffiths

Researching for the Silk Road Virtual Museum leads me to avenues that I never thought existed. Let me share this one with you. It starts at Christie’s Auction House in London. It is 25 June 2020 and we are here for its sale of Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds Including Oriental Rugs and Carpets.

There was much interest in Lot 29 which was a copy of a fifteenth century Qur’an, printed on coloured Chinese paper and which was estimated to sell for between £600,000 and £900,000.

As always, there was a tension in the room. Most objects were going for near their estimated prices, but there were already two spectacular results. Lot 4, an early 13th century Iranian jug estimated to fetch between £50,000-70,000, was sold for over £400,000.

Lot 24, a Mamluk brass ewer, inlaid with silver and gold, which had been estimated to fetch £200,000-300,000, changed hands for almost £800,000 pounds. So, at first, no one was too surprised when the bidding for Lot 29 passed its estimate… and kept climbing.

Here is a screen shot of the moment when the bidding passed £6,000,000.

The bidding did not stop there. Agents, with telephones held to their ears, exchanged nervous glances to see who would back down first. Of course, all but one were to do so…. But not before the price reached £7,016,250 (€7,717,875 or $8,770,312)

So what do you get for that amount of money? One gets a 15th century copy of the Qur’an probably transcribed in Herat. What makes it special is the beautiful coloured paper, flecked with gold and occasionally decorated with flowers, that had been produced in China. Each of its 534 folios are dyed in rich hues of deep blue, turquoise, pink, purple, orange, green, yellow and cream. Look at the Qur’an from its side and this is what you see:

The kaleidoscopic variety was meant both to honour God in all His infinite variety and to evoke a pleasurable aesthetic response in the worshiper. 

The use of coloured paper in the Islamic world was not new but Chinese paper, with its luscious finish, vibrant colours and exotic designs, had a special attraction. And because the paper had been permeated with white lead, it has a silky texture which made it soft to handle.

We still don’t know the exact formula with which the paper was permeated and dyed. There are only four known versions of this paper in the world none of which is as ornate as this.

So, you ask yourself, where does the book come from and where can you go to see it? Well, that is where we have a small problem. Usually, you would expect a beautiful volume like this to have passed through the hands of kingly courts and famous libraries, or even rich private owners.

However, the only provenance given by Christie’s for this Qur’an was that it was bought by the vendor’s father in London in the 1980s. And the vendor’s identity is not revealed. You might think that this is not very satisfactory, but for Christies it was more than enough. The statement means that the Qur’an was already in London in the 1980s, and since we know nothing of its previous history, it automatically falls outside the 1954 Convention, designed to protect cultural items in times of war, and the 1970 UNESCO Convention which banned the illicit trafficking of cultural property. You might suspect that something is wrong, but without proof there is absolutely nothing you can do.

Let us now turn to the second question was – where can you go to see it? The first answer that you can’t. The identity of the purchaser is also a secret. He or she can peruse it at their leisure, until it presumably re-emerges onto the art market. At a second level, the answer is that there is a good chance that no one will ever see it intact again. A dealer will most likely dismember the book and sell it folio by folio.

Let us take a look at the economics. We have paid over seven million pounds for a book with 534 folios. That comes out at a little over £13,000 pounds per folio. On 24 October 2019, at another sale of Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds Including Oriental Rugs and Carpets, Christie’s auctioned two folios from a Timurid manuscript, dating from 1465. One depicted the prophet Mohammed arriving at the second heaven, of pearls, the second showed the Angel of Death. The two, together, sold for £848,750. pounds. As for the provenance of those two pages – they had been sold privately by Christie’s before, in 2016 – so that was OK.

Looked at in this way, it is easy to appreciate why you don’t have to sell many of the pages to recoup your seven million pounds. As long as unscrupulous dealers are willing to dismember intact folios and equally avaricious collectors willing to part with vast sums to own the fragment, and auction houses more than willing to take their commission from vendors and buyers alike, we will continue to see more and more of these volumes filleted for private consumption.

It is not much of a compensation, but fortunately, you can download images of all the pages at the address shown here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/j9mq9232ih7fig6/AAAhuQJe9JfRSu6uRPas4fAUa?dl=0

Egypt at the gates of the International Monetary Fund

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Egypt at the gates of the International Monetary Fund

By Eleni Vasiliki Bampaliouta

Three times its national currency was devalued within a year…. What is happening with the economic situation of the country?

The pharaonic projects of President al-Sisi, the war in Ukraine and the rise of precision and poverty. The economic situation has deteriorated so much in Egypt that many compare it to that of Lebanon. Although the economic figures of the two countries are not comparable, the most populous country in the Arab world is indeed facing enormous economic and social challenges today.

The Egyptian pound has lost half its value since last March. Since mid-January, it has depreciated a further 13% against the US dollar, to a record low. The result is skyrocketing food and commodity prices in a country where the 60% of the population now lives close to the poverty line.

A third of Egypt’s 109 million inhabitants are forced to live on less than one euro a day. Many families cannot afford more than one meal a day. Households struggle daily with the monster of “inflation”, which officially hovers just over 21%.

It is predicted that it may even reach 25% within the first quarter of 2023. According to some economists it is actually as high as 101% if one takes into account the huge underground economy.

The result is that many staple foods have become unaffordable as their price has doubled, while already low wages are depleted.

“Looking for protein-rich food alternatives that will lighten your budget?” the National Institute for Nutrition wrote in a Facebook post, recommending that the hungry eat cheaper types of meat, such as chicken or beef legs, as a solution. But even in this species the price doubled, reaching 20 Egyptian pounds per kilo (just over 0.60 euros).

This was compounded by the restrictions imposed by the Cairo government on imports, in the absence of foreign exchange. For the same reason, capital controls have been imposed on banks. Faced with a “mountain” of debt, the country is constantly resorting to the International Monetary Fund.

Rising energy and raw material prices in general, commodity inflation and the wider economic crisis have raised fears that other countries will follow suit. While a few months ago, Egypt was characterized as one of the fastest growing economies in the world, it is now becoming the first country to turn to the IMF to cope with the effects of the Ukrainian crisis.

Although Egypt had sought refuge in the International Monetary Fund after the global shock of the coronavirus, Cairo had managed to cope with the economic fallout. The IMF had even praised Egypt’s ability to overcome the negative effects of the pandemic and become one of the fastest growing economies in the world, improving all indicators of its economy.

However, the war in Ukraine led Egypt to request assistance from the IMF. Although Egypt had started talks with the IMF before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, due to the regime’s structural problems, in Cairo they expected a gradual recovery from the restart of tourism and the implementation of some major investment projects. The crisis in Ukraine belied Egyptian expectations.

The food crisis was a key issue for the appeal to the IMF, as Egypt is possibly the world’s largest importer of wheat. Sanctions on Russian wheat exports led to an increase in food prices, which hit Egypt.

In addition, a large percentage of tourists heading to Egypt came from Ukraine and Russia. Consequently, the scenario of the precautionary IMF liquidity line is now at hand, in view of the financial pressures on the Egyptian economy, while the financial reinforcement of Egypt is considered necessary to support the population.

A breath from the door of the IMF

Inflation, debts to the IMF and the restriction of lending by the countries of the Persian Gulf compose a negative scenario for the Egyptian economy.

In an effort to prevent the economy from collapsing completely, the president has begun introducing reforms such as doubling the private sector from 30% to 65% by 2025, selling off dozens of state-controlled companies, banks and energy firms and cutting public spending . In this way, the requirements of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), with which a loan of 3 billion was agreed upon, are also served. dollars last December.

For the Gulf countries and Saudi Arabia, which have supported Egypt’s economy for the past 10 years with around $100 billion unconditionally, the announcement is particularly attractive: first, a stronger Egyptian economy will be less dependent on foreign aid and the new investments will have a better chance of seeing their money back at some point.

News agencies reported that Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar, which are seeking to diversify their economic model so that they are not solely dependent on oil and natural gas, are looking to buy assets in Egypt, as the situation seems beneficial for investors: on the one hand, the Egyptian pound has lost half of its value against the dollar in eleven months, and on the other hand, inflation rose to 26.5% in January.

Dimension of opinions regarding the utility of projects

President al-Sissi is seeking to lead Egypt’s economy to recovery. However, a large part of the Egyptian economy is not suitable for privatization as it is in the hands of the military, which scares off international investors. This directly affects a number of the president’s very expensive projects, such as the new capital that is supposed to replace Cairo and has been under construction since 2015, as well as the Cairo Monorail, which, when completed, will be the longest train line without guide to the world.

However, al-Sisi defended his plans. He insisted that these are necessary to attract foreign investment and would help rebuild the country’s crumbling infrastructure. In addition, supporters of al-Sisi’s mega projects have always argued that they will help boost Egypt’s economy by creating new jobs, addressing infrastructure shortfalls and solving the problematic traffic situation in Cairo, home to 20 million people. .

Critics question the sustainability of these mega projects at a time when the country is struggling to repay its debts. “The New Administrative Capital, which is estimated to cost $50 billion, began shortly before Egypt turned to the WTO. for an emergency bailout, which is reckless,” says Timothy Kaldas, a research fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, adding that “emergency spending on mega projects contributed to Egypt’s debt crisis.” It is obvious that D.N.T. agrees with this view, as the loan program requires the government to justify future spending on major projects.

Bad economic prospects

Some observers say the projects had an initial positive impact on the economy, but this was not sustained. The problem was that most of these projects are in non-trade sectors, such as construction. That is, sectors that do not directly contribute to either increasing exports or reducing imports, so as to improve the trade balance.

So far al-Sisi has not indicated whether or to what extent he would be willing to cut costs when the projects are completed. Meanwhile, Egypt’s need to deal with the economic crisis by attracting foreign investors may increase even more. The economic outlook for the near future of the Middle East does not look promising, with a projected decline of 3.2% in 2023 and only modest growth in 2024, according to D.N.T. director general Kristalina Georgieva.

Kenyan President H.E. William Ruto on Official Visit to The Netherlands

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Kenyan President H.E. William Ruto on Official Visit to The Netherlands

By Roy Lie Atjam

The President of Kenya, H.E. William Kipchirchir Samoei Arap Ruto Ph.D. CGH, made an official two-day visit to the Netherlands on 7-8 May 2023 for a series of bilateral meetings including a meeting with HM King Willem-Alexander.

On May 8, 2023, President William Ruto held a causerie at the Salon Van Briemen at the historical Hotel Des Indes, The Hague. Before coming to the Netherlands President William Ruto and his spouse, Rachel Ruto attended the coronation ceremony of King Charles III in London. President William Ruto met with HM. King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima at Noordeinde Palace on Monday 8 May 2023.

HM Queen Maxima, met with the President’s spouse, Rachel Ruto to discuss financial inclusion and women’s empowerment in her capacity as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA).

One of the objectives of President William Ruto’s visit to the Netherlands was to create awareness for the Africa Climate Action Summit that will be held in Nairobi Kenya, from September 4-6, 2023.  President Ruto visited the headquarters of the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA) and participated in a Strategic Dialogue at the upcoming Africa Climate Action Summit.

The GCA, the only international organization focused exclusively on climate adaptation, is working closely with Kenya to mobilize financial commitments for adaptation during the Africa Climate Action Summit. 

Diplomat Magazine organized a causerie with President William Ruto on the upcoming Africa Climate Action Summit and other topics. The full causerie follows.

President Ruto stated that “We have been having a conversation largely centred around finger-pointing. Who did what, who did not, that conversation is not progressive. It is true that Africa has contributed the least to climate change and yet is bearing the biggest burden. Despite its accuracy, we want to move from this victim narrative.

We believe it is time to have a different conversation, one about Africa coming to the table with innovative solutions to climate change and sustainable development”. 

The president added that “The conversation in September 2023 will have depth and detail. We want to bring an African perspective to climate action, put our ideas on the table, and formulate innovative solutions that will help tackle this monster that is threatening humanity. The stakeholders at this conference are African Heads of State, it is a conference on climate action, by heads of state and government and the people of the African continent. We will also have other players. We are working with the Global Adaptation Centre, the Africa Union, African Development Bank, many other stakeholders, and other partners.

We will be inviting heads of state from other countries because climate change is not an African problem, it is a global problem and requires input, participation, and contribution from as many stakeholders as possible”. 

Your Excellency, do you recall Glasgow 2021 when the Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley delivered her smashing remarks? Mottley “We come to Glasgow with global ambition to save our people and our planet but now find three gaps! What do we say to our people living on the frontline in the Caribbean, Africa, and the Pacific when both ambition and some of the needed faces are absent?”

Roy LIe Atjam, Diplomat Magazine’s editor and the President of Kenya, H.E. William Kipchirchir Samoei Arap Ruto.

The President reacted that “We  will be building on a body of knowledge and information and scaling it up with ideas and innovative solutions, that we can bring to the table where we then want to have a very candid conversation in the style of PM Mottley, but more progressive. We have concrete suggestions on what we think these ideas and solutions should be. Yes, we need to have a robust conversation about adaptation and what African countries need to do for example about water, and agriculture. How do we drive the space around sustainable agriculture? building of dams, harvesting rainwater making supply much more predictable. What do we do about carbon markets, about mitigation?

President Ruto continues “The big conversation so far has been about loss and damage but in our respectful submission we need to take it beyond that and go all the way to finance and climate investment because that is a much bigger conversation. Damage and loss is a conversation about a hundred billion dollars, that is not forthcoming.

The conversation that we need to have is about climate financing. What conversations can we have around carbon markets, and about carbon trading? How do we get the people who do more with carbon sequestration, to help the globe with decarbonizing? How do we convert that into revenues? How do we have the big conversation about climate investment? Loss and damage are around 100 billion dollars, climate Investment is 150 trillion dollars. Should we be having a conversation about a hundred billion dollars? Or should we be having a conversation about 150 trillion?

That is where we want to take this debate and we want to make sure that as a continent this time around, we are not left out of the conversation. I am told the risk of not being on the table is that you could easily be on the menu, and we are crystal clear we need to be at the table. If we have this conversation, we will go all the way up to the International Financial Market, the International Financial architecture, and the International Financial system.” 

President Ruto stated that “We need a system that is climate-aligned, climate-responsive, and inclusive.  We cannot continue with the International Financial architectures it is because it prices Africa out of the market, using only one factor-risk. The kind of financing today that the global South can access, concessional financing, is so small. It is ridiculous. You cannot finance any meaningful development with that kind of access. Yet even though this concessional financing takes inordinately long, it comes in very small quantities, and it is one hell of an exercise to access. 

President William Ruto held a causerie at the Salon Van Briemen at the historical Hotel Des Indes, The Hague. Here with Diplomat Magazine’s editor.

The International Financial architecture must change, it is not working, and I dare say it is rigged against one set of people as against another. Hence our push is for an International Financial Architecture that is fair. Africa is the continent with two-thirds of uncultivated arable land. We can feed the whole globe. We are the youngest continent. We have the biggest demographic dividend- a quarter of the people on Earth will be living on the African continent by 2050.

We have all the renewable energy assets in the world Whether you talk about, Hydro, wind, or solar geothermal and we are ready to make these assets available to decarbonize the world.

“The transition from fuel fossil fuels energy to renewable energy is a foregone conclusion. We cannot sustain, however, reckless we want to be, development and growth driven by fossil fuels. With Africa’s assets, we have opportunities that we have what we can bring to the table, and we want to meet halfway with everybody. We have our assets: a big Market, our young people, we have minerals. We want to meet halfway with our compatriots from the North who can come with technology and financing and together we create a better future.” 

Regarding Kwanza Technology: President Ruto deems it an interesting phenomenon because technology is a big component of winning the future. Kenya is known for technological innovation. M-pesa for example is a financial inclusion platform with global acclaim. It has driven financial inclusion from below 40% to the region of almost 90%. 

When asked about Blue Economy, President Ruto indicated that “our blue economy space is part of the reason why I was in Rotterdam yesterday (7 May). There is an opportunity to build a global ecosystem that will enable us to get into the untapped space around Blue Economy resources. Whether you are talking about fishing and the whole ecosystem around processing and what comes with it. How do we develop that ecosystem and bring shipping on board? Blue economy helps us to sort out food security. This is in addition to creating jobs, creating value, and decarbonizing the whole infrastructure around maritime transport and Logistics.” 

He further stated that “the current architecture of the African Union is not effective. We, African Leaders, are having a very frank, intense, and honest conversation about what we need to do differently because we certainly must change. We need to give the AU the power and resources to engage with the European Union, America, China, and all of our other partners so that we can be able to get what we need to transform our countries. Look at what the Asian countries are doing (ASEAN).

This is the new thinking and we need to adapt.” He added “If we are engaging with Europe, we must empower the African Union president to engage with the EU president at the same level. We want to engage with China, America in the same way. We have been asked for a meeting between Africa and Russia we cannot send 54 heads of state. We have decided that this is going to be different. We are going to have a Troika of the past chairman, the current chairman a future chairman. They can transact on behalf of the continent. That way you can have a reasonable meeting.” 

“If you offer me the last word, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity. I look forward to another engagement. Welcome to Kenya in September. Let us talk about climate action and what we can do to save our globe”.

Thank you for sharing your vision your Excellency.

Asante Sana (Thank You)

President William Ruto held a causerie at the Salon Van Briemen at the historical Hotel Des Indes, The Hague. Here with Diplomat Magazine’s editor. Photo credit Elly Kaptan.

Non-ferrous metallurgy in the prospects of development

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Non-ferrous metallurgy in the prospects of development

By Shokhruhhuja Fakhriddinkhujaev

In recent years, the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan has been paying increased attention to the extraction, processing of non-ferrous metals and the production of high-value-added products from them. The non-ferrous metallurgy industry is considered as a potential driver of the economy.

Current status

As known, Uzbekistan has significant reserves of non-ferrous metals. Proven reserves of gold in Uzbekistan amount to 6.4 thousand tons, silver — 24.6 thousand tons, copper — 21.3 million tons. Significant reserves of non-ferrous metals create the potential to attract investment in the extraction, processing and increasing exports of non-ferrous metals and products from them. In this regard, one of the priorities of the economic policy of the Government of Uzbekistan has become the implementation of reforms in this sector.

It is indicative that over the past 6 years, the share of the physical volume of the metallurgical industry in the manufacturing industry has increased from 11% to 24%. For 11 months of 2022, the volume of production amounted to 97.8 trillion sums, which is 10 times more than in 2016.

The production of non-ferrous metals in the period January-November 2022 also showed an increase. In particular, the production of copper and its products at large enterprises increased by 3.3% compared to the same period in 2021 and reached 184 thousand tons, the production of zinc and its products increased by 1.3% to 83.6 thousand tons, and lead and its products decreased by 20% to 8.1 thousand tons.

The export of non-ferrous metals provides tangible foreign exchange earnings to the economy. In general, copper exports for 10 months of 2022 increased by 0.4% to $954 million, zinc by 30% to $ 213 million, lead decreased by 39% to $6.5 million, aluminum increased by 10% to $48.6 million. Also, gold exports for 11 months of 2022 decreased by 14.2% to $3.6 billion.

The reforms carried out to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) are bearing fruit. Thus, the volume of FDI in the mining industry in 2021 amounted to $1.2 billion, in 2022 it will amount to $1.3 billion, and in 2023 it is expected to reach $1.5 billion. Most of the investments are accounted for by the flagships of non-ferrous metallurgy in Uzbekistan – Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combine (Almalyk MMC) (64%) and Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Combine (Navoi MMC) (28.5%).

Flagships of non-ferrous metallurgy

Almalyk MMC. Almalyk MMC was founded in 1949 and is 98.8% owned by the Government of Uzbekistan through the State Asset Management Agency. Almalyk MMC accounts for 9% of budget revenues, which makes the plant the second largest industrial enterprise in the country. The plant produces more than 100 types of goods, it employs 35 thousand employees. The plant has 3 open pits and 4 underground mines, as well as 5 processing enterprises and 2 metallurgical complexes.

The main activity of Almalyk MMC is the extraction and enrichment of sulfide, gold-bearing and polymetallic ores, followed by the production of refined copper, zinc metal, precious and rare metals, as well as secondary products and alloys based on them. The plant is the only producer of primary copper in the country.

The production capacity of Almalyk MMC in 2021 amounted to 148 thousand tons of copper cathode, 17 tons of gold and 196 tons of silver, and the company’s revenue for 2021 amounted to $2.9 billion. The volume of exports in 2022 amounted to $942.1 million (of which copper — $637.2 million, zinc — $210.7 million, lead — $26 million and other products — $68.2 million).

Navoi MMC. Navoi MMC was founded in 1958 and is 100% owned by the Government of Uzbekistan through the Ministry of Finance. Navoi MMC accounts for 18% of the country’s budget revenues, which makes the plant the largest industrial enterprise in the country, it employs 58 thousand employees. The main activity of the enterprise is the extraction and processing of gold, the production volume is about 80 tons of gold per year. The main resource base of the Navoi MMC is the Muruntau mine, which is considered the largest by area in the world.

In the first half of 2022, the total volume of gold sales of Navoi MMC increased by 7% compared to the same period of the previous year and amounted to 1.4 million ounces, which brought a profit of $2.6 billion. Profit for the year due to gold increased by 11%, where 4% were due to an increase in the selling price of gold, and the remaining 7% correspond to an increase in gold sales.

Using competitive advantages

Large reserves of non-ferrous metals create competitive advantages for the development of a number of industrial sectors, which gives impetus to the intensive technological development of the country.

In the era of transition to a “green” economy, environmentally friendly energy sources and products, the demand for non-ferrous metals, in particular, for copper and products made from it, is dynamically increasing. To date, global copper production is inferior to the growth in demand for it. According to analysts, by 2030, the demand for copper will grow by 45% and reach 38 thousand tons per year, which will be due to an increase in demand for electric vehicles and the development of infrastructure for the “green” industry. At the same time, production will remain below demand.

Naturally, Uzbekistan, in the presence of significant reserves of non-ferrous metals, seeks to take advantage of its comparative advantages. In order to accelerate the disclosure of the existing potential of the metallurgical industry in Uzbekistan, a number of resolutions and Strategies have been adopted in recent years to develop the production of non-ferrous metals and products made from them.

The trajectory of ongoing reforms

As part of the further expansion of the country’s potential and increasing competitiveness in the world market, the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. PP-4731 dated May 26, 2020 “On additional measures to expand the production of non-ferrous and precious metals based on the deposits of Almalyk MMC JSC” was adopted, which provides for the implementation of a strategy to increase the production of non-ferrous and precious metals.

In June 2021, the Presidential Decree PP-5159 “On additional measures for the development of the mining and metallurgical industry and related industries” was adopted, which in turn will increase copper production more than twice.

The resolution provides for the creation of a Scientific and Technological Cluster for the production of copper products and finished products with high added value from it. The main goal of the cluster is the creation of new high-tech industries, as well as providing them with the necessary resources, the production of equipment and the development of mechanical engineering for the mining industry.

Another purpose of the resolution is the implementation of a system of interaction between science and production for the development of communication between systems of design and engineering services, research and development work, the transfer of modern technologies, the introduction of innovations and digital technologies within the Cluster of the copper industry based on advanced foreign experience.

To increase copper production in 2022, a new technopark based on the Copper Cluster was created in the Akhangaran district of the Tashkent region (Ohangaron Tech Industrial technopark). The basis for the creation of the technopark was the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. PP-295 dated June 28, 2022 “On measures to expand the technological chains of processing copper raw materials and raw materials of rare metals“. The main goal of the technopark is the production of import-substituting, export-oriented products with high added value by processing copper and raw materials of rare metals.

In addition, the “Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026” covers all spheres of activity, in particular, the sphere of the metallurgical industry. The objectives of the Strategy include the implementation of major investment projects in the field of metallurgy and the expansion of the mineral resource base necessary for the economy.

The key objectives set within the framework of the Strategy are to attract investments in the metallurgical industry, the development of the Yeshlik I mine (the project cost is $2 billion), which provides for the prospective development of the field and the acceleration of geological survey work. In particular, due to the solution of these tasks, by 2028, the production of copper cathode will be increased to 400 thousand tons, gold to 50 tons and silver to 270 tons per year. In accordance with the Strategy, it is planned to implement 16 investment projects worth $1.6 billion until 2026 in Navoi MMC.

In general, the republic is expected to increase the production of high-value-added products due to deep processing of copper and zinc, in particular, the production of tapes, wires and other products based on copper and zinc will increase to 10 thousand tons, and copper powder up to 2 thousand tons.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it should be emphasized that in recent years, large-scale reforms have been carried out in the field of non-ferrous metallurgy, which give a powerful impetus to the entire economy of the country. Further implementation of short- and long-term strategies, as well as the introduction of new capacities in the field of non-ferrous metallurgy will increase the production potential of this sphere and the country as a whole, as well as the competitiveness of domestic enterprises.

About the author:

Shokhruhhuja Fakhriddinkhujaev, Center for Economic Research and Reforms[1] under the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan

[1] The Center for Economic Research and Reforms (CERR) under the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan is both a research center and an Accelerator of socio-economic reforms. CERR provides comments and advice on suggestions for socio-economic programming and policies by the Ministries to solve the main development issues in a swift, operational and efficient way. CERR is in the Central Asian Top-10 by the «Global Go To Think Tank Index Report 2020» (USA).

Can AI & Blockchain enable banking services for the masses in the Global South?

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Can AI & Blockchain enable banking services for the masses in the Global South?

By Henri Estramant

In spite of the progress made in the throughout the 20th century, many people worldwide remain unable to access banking services in their home countries, or local communities. While the trend may sound like something typical for developing countries, in the US alone 8.7 million, or 14.1% of US persons are underbanked, or unbanked according to Forbes.

The figures worldwide according to the World Bank are approximately one-third of adults , or 1.7 billion people lacking appropriate access to financial services, and basic banking. AI and Blockchain technologies could facilitate a less biased approached within the financial industry; as data shows that in many developed economies access to banks are a particular struggle for ethnic, or racial minorities, or those belonging to groups that have historically faced societal discrimination. Women that account for half of the world population, often face such challenges according to the OECD.

Advantages for the Global South

In Brazil for instance, the largest economy in South America, people of African origin remain a disadvantaged group, and one that lacks proper access to financial services. Solutions to the latter problem are being offered by São Paulo-based company Conta Black implementing a software that looks into a person’s credit score based on parameters that are relevant for those who are living in disposed communities (such as mobile phone usage data, social media data) for loans, or mortgages.

Zero-knowledge range proof solutions are likewise available through Blockchains, and are being tested by ING. As the race for regulating AI & Blockchains intensifies, countries and political entities ought to ensure facilitating the implementation of AI and Blockchain solutions for those communities and peoples that are the ‘have-nots’. End of May, the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Mahesh Kumar Jain, called upon the country’s banking system to adopt and AI and Blockchain technologies “to ensure sustainable growth and stability”.

In short, AI and Blockchains can be applied to anonymize names, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientations, etc., of those seeking access to mobile banking, loans, or mortgages; thereby blinding human prejudices. While we are not living in an ideal world, an early adoption should encourage organic growth for those technologies within the financial industry. Chatbots for instance could be trained into endemic languages of the Americas (not everyone’s native tongue is Spanish), African or Polynesian languages in order to educate them about financial services, and how best to use them. Remittances could be wired much faster and securely, and be taxed in accordance to local regulations.

Race for regulation is heating up

Any potential regulation for AI should entrench, and facilitate the application of the aforesaid technology for disadvantaged communities. As U.S. President Biden, and other developed states have recently supported membership into the G20 group for the African Union, African leaders ought to heed the call, and invite themselves as observers in already existing political structures that will shape the regulation of AI (for instance U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council -TTC); particularly since the US and China are leading the technological development whereas the EU is leading the way in regulating, meaning that other countries and political entities, likely shall model their own legislation upon a successfully passed AI Act as being put forward by the European Union.

The G7 already has decided to pursue “trustworthy AI, in line with our shared democratic values”; developing nations are at risk of once more falling behind, if they do not ask support for AI technology implementation for their amelioration of their financial services.

EU’s AI Act as paradigm?

Algorithms and datasets should be produced responsibly in Latin America, Africa, Asia as well as the South Pacific, or otherwise they will lack the sensitivity and diversity necessary. Data and Large Language Models (LLMs) from wealthy nations cannot be applied to the Global South, albeit their learning scenarios are also relevant in developing economies.

For instance, in the European Economic Area (the EU plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) the usage of postal codes for supervised data learning is not permissible as per the “fairness” principle of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR – articles 39, 45, 71), as doing thus will place people hailing from those disadvantaged areas at risk of never been granted a loan as an example.

It will come as a surprise that AI is actually being adopted swiftly in many countries of the Global South, where social inequality is rampant. The more important for large Western companies to ensure they are represented in these regions, and ensure their technology is applied for legitimate purposes, and sustainable development.

About the writer:

Henri Estramant

Henri Estramant, LLM is a former consultant at the Panel for the Future of Science and Technology of the European Parliament. He is an expert in AI & Crypto regulation – certified in Conversational and Deploying AI.

The Hague Academy of International Law, “A century of devotion to the study  international legal principles and rules – from 1923 to 2023”

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The Hague Academy of International Law, “A century of devotion to the study  international legal principles and rules – from 1923 to 2023”

By Steven van Hoogstraten, Former Treasurer Hague Academy

During the last week of May  the Hague Academy of International Law (first courses in 1923) celebrated its  Centenary.   A festive program was held in the premises of the Academy in the new wing of the Peace Palace.

The  important  moment itself was marked with a solemn sitting on Wednesday,  with speeches by the President of the Curatorium, the French professor and judge Yves Daudet,  and the chair of the Conseil d’Administration Minister of State, Piet Hein Donner. The Mayor of The Hague, Jan van Zanen emphasized the continued welcome for the Hague Academy in  the City of Peace and Justice. The representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dominique Kühling (Head of Protocol),  complimented the Academy, while staying close to the response to the  international situation with a war once again going on on European soil.

The scientific  colloquium on 25/26 May was the more substantive part of the commemoration of one century of high level  teaching and study of  international law. Many famous legal professors and experts had travelled to The  Hague to be part of this  impressive program, under the title “Challenges of  International Law at the time of the Centenary of the Hague Academy”.

The Hague Academy was in fact conceived – with the active support of Tobias Asser – during the second Peace Conference in the Hague in 1907, and was ready  to start in October 1914. Unfortunately the Great War (WW1) intervened, so the first courses could only be held  in the Peace Palace in 1923.  The Academy has been famous for its world wide appeal, due in large measure to the excellence of the professors and of the students. “The best professors for the best students” is an underlying thought of this classic Academy. Admission is open to students who are in their last year of formation.

Solemn sitting – The Hague Academy of International Law 100 Anniversary/

In these days, the Hague Academy attracts some 600 students from more than 100 nations to its summer courses, and 300 to the newly added winter courses. All the scientific contributions, particularly the lectures  by the professors and the result  of the reserach centers, are being published in the globally famous  “Recueil des Cours”. This series is distributed world wide by publisher BRILL Nijhoff, both in print and also online. It is a great source of international legal thinking covering the perspectives on international law from  all corners of the globe in both private international law and public international law. Not less than 430 volumes have as yet appeared. These scripts can be consulted in many of the law libraries around the world and are widely quoted, both in academic literature and in decisions of international courts and tribunals.

Highlights of the Centenary program were, just to name a few,  themes like “the humanization of international law”, “the law applicable to international (investment) arbitration” and  “should and can  extraterritoriality be contained ? “.  More down to earth were themes like “can international law help facing epidemics, or  “Should and can, global  finance be submitted to internartional law “?   Many lively debates could be heard , by the best in the field, including the judges of ICJ who often were professors of international law and are sometimes elected to the Curatorium like former ICJ president Peter Tomka, judge Mohamed Bennouna (Morocco) and judge Hillary Charlesworth (Australia).

The Hague Academy of International Law is well known in the world, probably more so than in the Netherlands.  The General Assembly of the UN annually calls upon States to support this grand old institution for the study, teaching and  and dissemination of international law.

Over the years many States – at one point over 40 – have followed up on this call and made available some funding, in order to keep  access to the courses as open as possible, notably for students from developing countries.

In this respect, the Hague Academy of International Law operates a succesful system of scholarships  which are meant  to reach those students who are best qualified to participate but lack the means to do so.

In the new Century ahead of it, the Academy will not only stick to its traditions like being bilingual in French and English,  but it will also try to innovate and engage with modern issues. One of these will no doubt be international criminal law, which happened to find itself  at the forefront of several current debates. Not in the least because of the ongoing war in Ukraine, an aggression that goes against the fundamental principles of international law.

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