The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait Dr Sheikh Mohammed Al-Sabah is scheduled to visit the Republic of Uzbekistan in the beginning of June. This news came out during a press conference held in Uzbekistan embassy in Mishref.

Abdurafik Khashimov, the ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Kuwait, hosted the press event yesterday. "We hope it will be a fruitful visit. We hope that the visit of the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al-Sabah will give a new push to the strengthening of our bilateral relations in different fields," Khashimov said.

According to Khashimov, Sheikh Mohammed Al-Sabah will pay a two-day official visit to the Republic of Uzbekistan in early June. Khashimov also explained that there were a number of Kuwaiti officials who had visited Uzbekistan in the past year. Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, Minister of the Amiri Diwan and Dr Maasouma Al-Mubarak, the minister of health, also visited Uzbekistan last year. The embassy of Uzbekistan opened in March 2006.

"This year we are planning more bilateral visits and events," Khashimov said adding that a delegation of Uzbekistani women is planned to visit Kuwait in 2008.

Khashimov also focused on the good bilateral relations between Kuwait and Uzbekistan, saying that the Kuwait Fund has been heavily involved in developing infrastructure and social projects in Uzbekistan. "The Kuwait Fund provided a loan worth more than $60 million for three projects; a drinking water project, the electrification of railway roads and equipment for 171 emergency medical centers," Khashimov added.

The Kuwait Fund also provided a technical grant worth of $1 million for a feasibility study of the irrigation system in some places in Uzbekistan. Another KD 50,000 was provided to the Uzbekistan Reconstruction and Development Fund.

"Also, in 1997 on behalf of the Kuwait’s government, the late Amir HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah presented $500,000 to Uzbekistan to be utilized in the reconstruction of the Imam Bukhari Complex," Khashimov said, explaining that the reconstruction process is completed and the complex is now open for visitors.

The ambassador also presented the latest macroeconomic indicators of Uzbekistan’s economic development. In his words, Uzbekistan’s GDP in 2006 rose by 7.3 percent and industrial production rose by 10.3 percent. The agricultural and service sectors also rose respectively by 6.2 percent and 19.5 percent.

He then dwelled on the country’s priorities for 2007 - strengthening privatization and creating the most favorable conditions for the private sector to operate. On top of Uzbekistan’s priority agenda is big enterprise privatization in some strategic industries like chemistry, agricultural and power plants, he said. Thirdly, Uzbekistan has set forth a policy of government non-interference in the private sector.

According to Khashimov, Uzbekistan also prioritizes on the development of an open market mechanism with independent services, audits and financial services. Thanks to the favorable developments in the country, Khashimov observed as of today, Uzbekistan has attracted more than $20 billion of foreign investments.

A country of some 28 million people, Uzbekistan is now the world’s second-largest cotton exporter and fifth largest producer. It relies heavily on cotton production as the major source of export earnings. Other major export earners include gold, natural gas, and oil, the World Factbook said.