Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Nov.20
By Demir Azizov- Trend:
The President, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, the current chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Didier Burkhalter arrives in Uzbekistan on a visit Nov. 21, reported the national news agency of Uzbekistan (UzA).
The program of the visit involves a meeting with Uzbek President Islam Karimov, where the status and prospects of Uzbek-Swiss relations, issues of cooperation in the framework of the OSCE, the current regional and international issues will be discussed.
Burkhalter's visit to Uzbekistan will be held in the framework of his Central Asian tour November 19-22, according to the press service of the OSCE. The OSCE Chairman visited Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) Nov.19, the plans for Nov.20 include a visit to Astana (Kazakhstan), and Tashkent (Uzbekistan) for Nov.21.
After his visit to Tashkent, Didier Burkhalter intends to visit Dushanbe (Tajikistan) and Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan).
Uzbekistan has been a member of the OSCE since 1992.
In 1995, the OSCE Office for Relations with Central Asia was opened in Tashkent at the initiative of the Uzbek side, which implemented the establishment of contacts at various levels and interaction in areas of mutual interest. In June 2006, on the initiative of the Uzbek side, the Permanent Council of the OSCE decided to establish the office of the OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan.
In July 2006, the government of Uzbekistan and the OSCE signed a memorandum on the establishment of the post of the OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan. Some 12 projects have been implemented to strengthen cooperation between Uzbekistan and the OSCE in 2010, according to the document. Currently, a total of 30 projects are implemented by the OSCE in the country. Uzbekistan cooperates with the OSCE in such areas as the strengthening of regional security and stability, the development of civil society institutions, expansion of international economic and humanitarian partnership, ecology.
Diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and Switzerland were established in 1992. The main directions of bilateral cooperation are determined at the regular meetings of the Uzbek-Swiss Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation.
The Swiss government provides assistance to Uzbekistan in the sphere of development of entrepreneurship and small private business.
Currently, some 95 companies with Swiss capital operate in Uzbekistan, including 68 joint ventures and 27 companies with wholly Swiss capital. Some 35 offices of Swiss firms and companies have been accredited at the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade of Uzbekistan.
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