Uzbek Senate yesterday passed the  Accession of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment (Cape Town, November 16, 2001) and to the Protocol on Aviation Equipment to the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment (Cape Town, 16 November 2001) Bill.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev hosted the Defense Minister of China and the State Councilor, Chang Wanquan, the President’s press service reported.

Uzbek Senate, at its plenary meeting on Wednesday, passed the Uzbekistan’s Defense Doctrine Bill, which envisages the creation of its own military-industrial complex, as well as the improvement of the organizational structure of the Uzbek Armed Forces.

The state-owned Kyrgyz Railways has agreed with the Uzbek and Kazakh railway companies to launch once-a-week train service between Tashkent and Baliqchi (Issyq Kul, Kyrgyzstan) in summer 2018 to be operated by Uzbekistan Railways, the company said.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump over the phone Tuesday, the Uzbek president’s  press service said in a statement. The conversation took place on the initiative of the American side.

Uzbekistan Airways announced flights have resumed at Tashkent’s Islam Karimov Ariport, closed today in the morning due to dense fog. Flights from Istanbul, Minsk, St. Petersburg, Tel Aviv, Bishkek and Rome were disrupted Due to weather. The flights were diverted to Samarkand and Navoi airports. The flights from Paris and London were also diverted to reserve airports, as well as a Turkish Airlines flight.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev yesterday hosted the visiting president of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), Serdar Çam, the President’s press service said.

Bobur Azizov has been appointed as head of the State Protocol Department of the Foreign Ministry, the ministry said.

The methods used in Corruption Perception Index (CPI) published by Transparency International are not fully transparent and the index itself does not reflect the whole picture of Uzbekistan, Evgeny Kolenko, acting chief of the Higher Course of the Uzbekistan’s Prosecutor General's Office said Monday.

In 2016, the United Nations in Uzbekistan and the Government formed a result group to jointly address the social protection needs of vulnerable people.

Chaired by the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations Aktam Khaitov and UNICEF Representative Sascha Graumann, the group met today to review the progress of implementation of the work plan for 2016-2017 and recognized the satisfactory progress, as a reflection of the commitment of the Government and the UN agencies in Uzbekistan in supporting the most vulnerable population groups, particularly during the time of economic reforms.

The joint work plan for 2016-2017 included the UN’s support to the Government in critical areas such as conducting situational analysis of people with disabilities, contribution to the implementation of the public finance management reform, modelling of family support services, developing mandatory standards for needs assessment of the lonely elderly, as well as service provision guidelines for women and children in difficult life situations. It also covered services to address the special needs of vulnerable children at-risk of being institutionalized.

The participants also considered possible areas of collaboration for 2018-2020. This action plan addresses the development challenges identified by the Strategy for Actions on five priority areas for the development of Uzbekistan in the years 2017-2021 and the Practical Roadmap on Further Cooperation between Uzbekistan and the United Nations for 2017-2020, recently endorsed by the Government and UN agencies in Uzbekistan.

Going forward, the group plans to engage in social protection policy and system reform, social work development, measures to improving the wellbeing of vulnerable groups including people and children with disabilities, low income families, lonely elderly, among others. Another area of collaboration includes strengthening Government’s capacity in development and implementation of youth policy, including fostering greater participation.

“It is important to develop a mechanism and tools for effective implementation of our joint plans to ensure targeted social protection of vulnerable population. This is one of the priority areas of Government’s social policy,” said Aktam Khaitov, Minister of Employment and Labour Relations and Co-chair of the Result Group.

Today’s meeting for the first time, included relevant international donor agencies. “We would like to foster greater coherence among partners and dialogue to further support the Government’s policies and initiatives in social protection,” said Sasha Graumann, UNICEF Representative in Uzbekistan and Co-chair of the Result Group. “This platform also provides opportunities for better donor coordination,” he added.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed an Additional Measures to Boost Exports and Ensure Competitiveness of Domestic Goods in Foreign Markets Decree.

Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov today hosted the delegation of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) led by president Serdar Çam, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said.

At the extraordinary session of the municipal deputies council on Sunday Nematulla Matkarimovich Khudaibergenov has been confirmed as the new mayor of Turtkul ditrict of Karakalpakstan.

A two-day workshop on basic principles of the International Water Law and mechanisms of the international cooperation on use of transboundary water resources takes place in Tashkent.

The issue of Uzbekistan's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) were considered at the talks of Uzbek Foreign Trade Minister Jamshid Khodjaev and U.S. delegation led by Assistant Trade Representative for Central Asia Mark Linscott last Thursday.

A reported earlier the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev is visiting Karakalpakstan. According to the President’s press service, during the trip Shavkat Mirziyoyev  familiarized himself with the Karakalpakstan preschool education long-term development program and paid a visit to preschool No. 8 in Chimbay district.

Monitors from the International Labour Organization (ILO) have found that "the systematic use of child labour in Uzbekistan’s cotton harvest has come to an end over the past few years and that concrete measures to completely end the use of forced labour are being implemented." 

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev yesterday arrived in Karakalpakstan, UzA said. Shavkat Mirziyoyev during his January 20-21 Karakalpakstan trip set systemic measures to develop the region's economy and improve social conditions.

Alan Whaites, Senior Adviser and Head of Profession, and Leila Brosnan, International Adviser, of the UK National School of Government International (NSGI) visited Uzbekistan on 6 – 15 December 2017.

Uzbekistan delegation led by Deputy PM/ Finance Minister Jamshid Kuchkarov will attend the 76th meeting of the Economic Council of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Moscow today, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said.