Newsletter No. 1393
News-Analysis
June 28, 2009

 

The following newsletter has been contributed by Christopher Len (Shingetsu Member No. 82), who is the Coordinator of our Central Asia Contact Group. Len is based at the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP), Stockholm, Sweden.

UZBEKISTAN AND JAPAN AGREE ON JOINT EXPLORATION OF URANIUM MINES

On June 19, Central Asian New Service reported on several agreements signed between Uzbekistan and Japan parties for uranium mining. The Uzbek State committee on geology and mineral resources and Japan Oil, Gas, and Metals Corporation (JOGMEC) signed an agreement on joint exploration of uranium minefields. JOGMEC will invest US$500,000 into the project this year. The project in the Navoi region will start this September and is expected to finished in March 2010. The potential profits will be shared equally between Uzbekistan and Japan.

Japan's Mitsui & Company also signed a protocol with the Uzbek State Committee on Geology and Mineral Resources, which may lead to the establishment of a joint venture on uranium extraction. Another Japanese company, Sojitz Corporation, also signed a protocol stating its intention of conducting geological prospecting for uranium in Central Kyzylkumy together with the Uzbek State Committee on Geology and Mineral Resources.

In November 2006, the same Uzbek committee signed an agreement with the Itochu Corporation regarding the possibility of a joint venture for the development of uranium ore at the Rudnoe minefield.

Uzbekistan holds the seventh place in the world in terms of estimated uranium reserves, and is fifth in regard to its extraction. About forty uranium minefields have been explored in the country so far. According to the Uzbek State Committee on Geology and Mineral Resources, proven uranium reserves now amount to 185.8 thousand tons. In 2007, uranium extraction in Uzbekistan increased to 2.27 thousand tons. The Uzbek government hopes to increase its uranium extraction by 50% by 2012. All produced uranium is exported since Uzbekistan does not have its own nuclear industry.

INVESTMENT AGREEMENT RATIFIED BY UZBEK PARLIAMENT

The Agreement on the Liberalization, Encouragement, and Protection of Investments between Uzbekistan and Japan was signed between the two countries in Tashkent on August 15, 2008 (see Shingetsu Newsletter No. 1114). The agreement is aimed at attracting Japanese investments into Uzbekistan and to also to guarantee the rights of the Uzbek investors in Japan. In January 2009, the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis (the lower house of the Uzbek parliament) passed the agreement. Following that, the senators of the upper chamber followed suit during a plenary session on March 27 and 28.

NEWS BRIEFS

Aral Sea Support: Central Asian News Service reported on March 17 that the Japanese government has pledged more than US$66,000 to the International Foundation of Aral. This foundation aims to create a tree-planting zone on the dry bottom of Aral Sea. All the money will be used for buying agricultural equipment for the project. Recall that the Uzbek Embassy hosted a conference in Tokyo on the Aral Sea back in June 2008 (see Shingetsu Newsletter No. 1041).

Clean Development Mechanism Projects: Central Asian News Service reported on January 12, that Mitsubishi Corporation committed US$5 million for three projects at the largest chemical enterprises of Uzbekistan as part of a program for Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects. The projects will be implemented at Navoiazot, Maxam-Chirchiq, and Ferghanaazot. This is reported to be the first project in Uzbekistan within the CDM. The project was due to start in March 2009 and be completed with six-to-eight months. These three projects were based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Mitsubishi and Uzhimprom in 2006. Mitsubishi is supplying technologies and know-how for the utilization of green house gases (nitrous oxide), which will improve the energy efficiency of these enterprises. The project is expected to cut 1.1 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year.

Nursing Seminar: It was reported on June 24 by Central Asian News Service that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) organized a seminar on June 23 in Tashkent. This seminar discussed the completion of a five-year project on the advanced training of Uzbek nurses. Under the framework of this project, courses on the treatment of pregnant women, maternity patients, newborn babies, children and elderly patients, and psychological care were included. Scientists, teachers of medical colleges, and more than a hundred Japanese experts and specialists took part. Uzbek teachers in medical colleges and nurses also served internships in Japan. Also under this project, US$280,000 was granted to the Center for Emergency Medicine in Tashkent for the purchase of medical equipment.

Support for the Disabled: JICA allocated about US$4.8 million to the “Project for the Improvement of Equipment for National Center of Rehabilitation and Prosthesis of Disabled People” in Tashkent. The agreement was signed on February 19. The center will receive synthetic training equipment, biochemical analysis equipment, surgery tables, and monitoring equipment. It will carry out the rehabilitation of disabled people in Uzbekistan and perform operations.

Joint Archaeological Research: Uzbek and Japanese archaeologists are jointly conducting research in Termez. The expedition, consisting of Uzbek Sciences Academy representatives and researchers from Japan, started working in March in the Surkhandarya region. The research will be conducted in the Buddhist center Kara-tepa in an old part of the city of Termez with the hope of finding new objects from that cultural period.

Photography Exhibition: As part of the “Year of Japan and Central Asia Cooperation,” an exhibition called “Concealed Japan,” showing works of the famous photographer Kijuro Yahagi, took place between April 9 and May 5 at the Tashkent House of Photography. More than eighty works of the Japanese photographer were exhibited showcasing photos the photographer took during a trip throughout Japan. The exhibition was organized by the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan, the Embassy of Japan, and the Tashkent House of Photography.

Exhibition of Japanese Dolls: The Uzbekistan-Japan Center in Tashkent hosted an exhibition of Japanese imperial hand made dolls in February. The event coincided with Japan holiday “Hina Ningyo,” with fifteen dolls representing women of imperial court in Japan. The exhibition lasted until March 3.