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On 1 March President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received Vice President of General Electric company (US) Ronald James Pollett.
The Head of State, greeting the guest, stressed with a deep satisfaction the growing mutual interest of the business circles of Uzbekistan and the United States of America to developing long-term and mutually beneficial partnership relations.
Recently Tashkent hosted a successful business-forum of the American-Uzbekistan chamber of commerce with participation of leading American companies, including General Electric, CNH Industrial, Caterpillar, Honeywell and others.
It should be underlined that nowadays the cooperation of enterprises of Uzbekistan with General Electric company, one of the world technological leaders in different areas of the economy, encompasses a power industry, civil aviation and healthcare spheres.
During the meeting, the prospects of further enhancing and diversifying a portfolio of a long-term cooperation with the American company, primarily in high-tech spheres. These are new programs and projects in electrical, power, oil & gas, manufacturing and service maintenance of contemporary medical equipment and other spheres.
A particular attention was paid to the issues of interaction in the sphere of training and capacity development of highly qualified specialists.
Ronald James Pollett expressed sincere gratitude to the President of our country for a warm welcome and support in developing partnership ties between the business circles of the two countries, as well as communicated the willingness of General Electric company to developing a full-scale cooperation with Uzbekistan.
Following the meetings of the Vice President of the American company in ministries and agencies of Uzbekistan, a memorandum on developing and implementing joint projects in different sectors of the economy has been signed.
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The 2017 Agenda outlines the new Administration's four trade priorities: promoting U.S. sovereignty, enforcing U.S. trade laws, leveraging American economic strength to expand our goods and services exports, and protecting U.S. intellectual property rights.
USTR leads development and implementation of the President's Trade Policy Agenda, which it provides with the Annual Report on trade developments. To read both, please click here.
7. South and Central Asia [Abstract]
Communicating the Importance of Ensuring Women's Economic Empowerment through Trade and Investment Agreements in Central and South Asia
In 2016, the United States continued to work with partner governments in the region, the private sector, think tanks, the media, and U.S. Embassies to effectively explain the economic importance of empowering women entrepreneurs and business owners to better take advantage of trade and investment opportunities. USTR worked to fully implement the 2014 Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with the governments of Pakistan and Kazakhstan on Women's Economic Empowerment, and initiated discussions with a number of other South Asian countries on negotiating similar MOUs.
Advancing U.S. Engagement with Central Asia
USTR's historic support for WTO membership for the Central Asian countries helped facilitate Kazakhstan attaining WTO membership in 2015. Support for WTO accession of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan continued.
For 2017, USTR plans to review accession issues for these two countries, especially considering that there is a new Uzbek government in place. Also, the United States-Central Asia TIFA Council meeting convened in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, with the five Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan - as Members, plus Afghanistan as an Observer. We hope to convene the next TIFA Council meeting in the fall of 2017 and will focus on actions to boost regional economic cooperation and connectivity; customs issues; women's economic empowerment; energy trade; and, country-specific trade/investment issues, via Bilateral Working Group consultations with each of the TIFA Parties.
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In March of this year, the NAC Uzbekistan Airways will receive Full-flight simulator (FFS) of Boeing-767 of the Canadian company SAE. Using the new simulator the flight crew of the airline will improve their skills of piloting this type of aircraft in conditions close to real, the press service of the airline said.
FFS Boeing 767 is the newest development of SAE - a leading manufacturer of flight simulators. It is equipped with the most modern computer software, imaging systems and mobility with six degrees, it is possible to play various scenarios of flight, both in the air and on the ground. In addition, the database set up in the computer system allows to fly anywhere in the globe and to perform takeoff and landing in many airports around the world.
The commissioning of the new Full-flight simulator Boeing-767 is scheduled for June of this year.
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Ashgabat and Tashkent are preparing for the upcoming official visit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Turkmenistan.
The preparations for the visit were the key topic of a meeting between Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov and Uzbek Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade of Uzbekistan, Elyor Ganiev in Ashgabat.
The sides reviewed a package of bilateral documents due to be signed in the course of the visit. The date of the visit has not been yet defined.
"The two sides expressed satisfaction with the fruitful cooperation and stressed the need for further intensification of mutually beneficial partnership based on the principles of mutual respect and trust," the Turkmen government reported.
The two ministers also discussed the regional issues and ways to enhance cooperation within international organizations.
One of the strategic directions of partnership between the two countries is the sphere of energy. Turkmenistan supplies natural gas to China through Uzbekistan since 2009.
The two countries are discussing the project of creation a transport route Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman at this stage.
The new transport corridor will run from Uzbekistan across Turkmenistan and then to the Gulf via Iran, bypassing Afghanistan. The establishment of railway road communication from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to southern ports of Iran is expected to help create important transport network among the countries of Persian and Oman Gulfs and all Central Asian states.
The joint Uzbek-Turkmen Commission on trade-economic, scientific-technical and cultural cooperation operates since 1996.
In 2015, the volume of bilateral trade between the two countries amounted to about $320 million, in January-August of 2016 - $177 million.
Uzbekistan exports fertilizers, construction materials, fruits and vegetables, electrical and mechanical equipment, vehicles, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, services to Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan supplies oil products, propylene polymers, sulfuric acid to Uzbekistan.
In Uzbekistan, 7 enterprises operate with the participation of the Turkmen side. In Turkmenistan, there are 6 enterprises with participation of residents of Uzbekistan.
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In frame of upcoming changes in IP legislation of Uzbekistan new mechanisms of protection of exclusive rights are suppose to be introduced.
Below we present major amendments, in our opinion, which are expected in IP legislation:
- IP AGENCY OF UZBEKISTAN AND PERSPECTIVES FOR THE YEAR OF 2017
New changes have been introduced to the number of functions of the IP Agency of Uzbekistan. The functions of the Agency on state registration of copyright on scientific, literature and artistic production and registration of collective management societies have been abolished.
Furthermore, the Agency is endowed with following new functions, which should be implemented by the end of 2017:
Implementation of information system which will unable online applications for patent;
Creation of patent fund open access database;
Introduction of interactive government services based on the principle of «one window»
- STRENGTHENING THE RIGHT OF AUTHORS TO RECEIVE REMUNERATION
New changes are under discussion to amend the existing laws and regulations and provide authors without the patent with right to receive remuneration for exploiting their scientific research. This amendment will serve as a strengthening tool of the authors rights for remuneration.
- UPCOMING CHANGES IN LEGISLATION ON UNFAIR COMPETITION
Expected changes in 2017 cover the effective measures in combating unfair competition practices. New draft law «On Competition» assumes the amendments and additions to number of legislative acts, which will bring the legislation in line with international IP practices.
In particular, the adoption of a legal acts, will allow further improvements in protection of holders of intellectual property rights from exploitation of their trademarks and unfair competition. Moreover, new legal changes will assist in providing businesses with faster access to information on registered trademarks and clearly and explicitly formulate a verdict in judicial decisions to protect businesses from abusive registration of trademark.
- EXCISE TAX IS INDEXED ON MANUFACTURED EXCISABLE GOODS
According to the Decree of President the excise tax on ethyl alcohol (per 1 decilitre) is increased by 25 % compared to level of excise tax in 2016.
Pursuant to the Presidential Decree "On the forecast of the main macroeconomic indicators and parameters of the State Budget of Uzbekistan for the year of 2017" excise tax on number of products has been indexed. In particular, excise tax on natural wine of natural fermentation has been increased by 5 %, whereas other type of wine by 20%. The level of excise tax on tobacco products has been fixed quite high compared to the year 2016, which amounts to 30 % increase.
Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in the novelties covered by this review. We will be happy to respond to all your questions.
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CONTACT INFORMATION:
The American-Uzbekistan
Chamber of Commerce
1030 15th Street, N.W.,
Suite 555W
Washington, DC 20005
phone: 202.509.3744
[email protected]
www.aucconline.com
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