Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Feb. 10
By Demir Azizov - Trend:
Uzbek citizens will travel abroad only by biometric passports as of July 1, 2014, according to the governmental decree on "Measures on improving Uzbek citizens' traveling abroad".
The air and railway tickets to Uzbek citizens traveling abroad as of July 1, 2014 will be formalized and sold on the basis of biometric passports, according to the decree.
The intention is to simplify the passport control procedure at international border crossings and to ensure effective protection of the citizens' rights and freedoms, according to the document.
The biometric passport system was introduced in Uzbekistan in January 2011. Old-style passports will be valid in the country until December 31, 2015.
French Oberthur Technologies SA signed a contract with the Uzbek government in July 2010 to implement the turnkey project to create a biometric passport system worth 75.107 million euros.
French Societe Generale bank's loans, refinanced through the Uzbek National Bank for Foreign Economic Activity were drawn to finance the contract under the governmental guarantee.
The system envisages the creation and issuance of passports with the possibility of personal identification based on biometric information contained in the document.
Dutch IAI Industrial Systems BV implemented three operating systems BookMaster One as part of the project on introduction of biometric passports in Uzbekistan.
The state personalization center was established under the Cabinet of Ministers for the centralized issuance and recording of biometric passports, as well as the citizens' timely provision with the passports.
Oberthur Technologies announced the completion of the project in May 2013.
Uzbekistan is a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Its members announced the decision to transition to biometric passports in 2010.
Translated by NH
Edited by CN