World

On December 10, 2019, Uzbekistan delegation led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dilshod Akhatov and representatives of various ministries and agencies of Uzbekistan arrived in Brussels. The purpose of the visit is to conduct the 4th round of negotiations on the draft Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Uzbekistan …

From solar-powered ground pumps to 3D-printed filters, new technology can help solve water shortages in African cities facing rapid growth, entrepreneurs and policymakers said. These were among the solutions discussed at a summit hosted by the Islamic Development Bank in Senegal’s capital Dakar this week, focused on how innovation can …

On December 11-13, 2019, Uzbekistan delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulaziz Kamilov will visit Italy. The program of the visit includes conduction of meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Luigi Di Maio and other officials to discuss prospects for further development of bilateral …

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Tuesday urged the Lebanese to form a new government swiftly or risk a financial crisis worsening and threatening the country’s stability. “(They should) form a government quickly because any delay will continue to worsen the situation,” Le Drian told a news conference. Six …

U.S. lawmakers announced an agreement on Monday on a $738-billion bill setting policy for the Department of Defense, including new measures for competing with Russia and China, family leave for federal workers and the creation of President Donald Trump’s long-desired Space Force. It also calls for sanctions on Turkey over …

Qatar Airways has agreed to take a 60% stake in a new $1.3 billion international airport in Rwanda, the state-run Rwanda Development Board said on Twitter on Monday. The board said a first phase of construction would provide facilities for 7 million passengers a year in the Bugesera district, about …

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday that Tokyo is in discussions about a visit to Japan by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani this month, an attempt to try to resolve Iran’s nuclear impasse with the United States. He also said Japan wants to make every possible effort to promote …

Non-Saudi investors were allocated 23% of the institutional tranche of Saudi Aramco’s initial public offering (IPO), an executive at one of the lead banks on the deal told the Al Arabiya news channel on Monday. Wassim Al Khatib, head of investment banking at National Commercial Bank (1180.SE) also said the …

Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential campaign launched new attacks on Donald Trump on Sunday, advocating a reevaluation of U.S.-Saudi relations and calling North Korea’s apparent weapons test a “rebuke” to the U.S. president in a statement to Reuters. The statement comes as Trump faces pressure to examine his administration’s approach to …

The U.S. military believes that an unarmed American drone reported lost near Libya’s capital last month was in fact shot down by Russian air defenses and it is demanding the return of the aircraft’s wreckage, U.S. Africa Command says. Such a shootdown would underscore Moscow’s increasingly muscular role in the …

Preparations in our country for a major political event – the upcoming December 22, 2019 elections to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, regional, district and city councils are in progress. This year’s elections will be held on the basis of the newly adopted …

Our country has launched a major political event – elections to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, deputies of regional, district and city councils for the upcoming December 22, 2019. This year, the elections will be held on the basis of the recently adopted …

If the city of Navoi is still “nothing at all”, then in six or seven kilometers south of the city of Navoi one of the most ancient settlements of craftsmen “Sangbur” is located.  The name comes from the words “Sang” – stone and “drill” – to drill, break, that is, …

Saudi Arabia and Russia won backing for deeper output cuts from OPEC and allied oil producers on Friday as they look to head off global oversupply in 2020 and sustain prices. The group of more than 20 producers agreed to an extra 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) in cuts for …

Israel’s Justice Ministry announced criminal charges on Thursday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s lawyer, a former top aide and an ex-navy chief over a $2 billion purchase of submarines from Germany. Netanyahu was questioned by police but is not a suspect in the long-running investigation into suspicions that the local …

Japan is working on a plan to send about 270 seamen to the Middle East to guard ships supplying Japan under a law that allows military deployments for research and intelligence gathering, the Nikkei business daily said. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is considering a January visit to the Middle East, …

Cyprus has petitioned the International Court of Justice at The Hague to safeguard its offshore mineral rights, its president said on Thursday, as neighbor Turkey disputes its claims. The two countries are at loggerheads over offshore maritime zones around the island, where Cyprus has granted licenses to multinational companies for …

OPEC and its allies led by Russia are gearing up to approve deeper oil production cuts this week to prevent a new glut and a collapse on oil prices with OPEC member Iraq saying the move was supported by key members. Non-OPEC Russia also said it was expecting a constructive …

By Nurbek Olloyor   The historical ties between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, existed long before the formation of these governments as republics. The emergence of these ties brings us back to the days when Uzbekistan and Afghanistan were not yet divided by political borders and were considered as a part of …

By Nurbek Olloyor   The important event, elections to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, for regional, district and city councils’ deputies will be held in our country at the beginning of the third decade of December of this year. From the history of any government, it can be …

Russia, Iran, and China will hold joint naval war games on Dec. 27, Russia’s TASS news agency cited a senior Iranian naval official as saying on Tuesday. TASS did not report where the drills would be held. Source: Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to travel to Turkey for talks with his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan on Jan. 8 where he will open the TurkStream natural gas pipeline, the Kremlin said on Monday. The two leaders will also be able to discuss other issues at talks which are likely …

Turkey’s presidential administration has said that the purchase date for more S-400 missile systems from Russia is just a technicality and that it thinks a deal will happen before too long, the RIA news agency reported on Monday. Moscow hopes to seal a deal to supply Turkey with more S-400 …

Britain’s Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Sunday he would stop arms sales to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen if he wins an election this month. “Labour will stop arms sales to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen and work to end the war there, not actively support …

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Emmanuel Macron’s warning that NATO was dying reflects a “sick and shallow” understanding, telling the French president “you should check whether you are brain dead”. The comments drew a swift rebuke from the French foreign ministry, which summoned Turkey’s ambassador to Paris …

Brazil’s state-controlled oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PETR4.SA) has selected four groups for the second round of bidding for four refineries up for sale, including China’s Sinopec, Abu Dhabi’s state investor and two Brazilian firms, according to four people with knowledge of the matter. Sinopec, Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Co …

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday dismissed French President Emmanuel Macron’s criticism of Turkey’s offensive in Syria against the Kurdish YPG militia, saying the French leader sponsors terrorism. “He is already the sponsor of the terrorist organization and constantly hosts them at the Elysee. If he says his ally …

Uzbekistan has officially joined the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking Countries, also known as the Turkic Council. The decision to admit Uzbekistan to this group was taken on 15 October at the summit of the States Parties in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Uzbekistan is one of the important countries in …

The Israeli ambassador was mistaken to have sent a “GOOD LUCK” message to Myanmar ahead of World Court hearings on accusations the state committed genocide against Rohingya Muslims, Israel’s foreign ministry said on Thursday. Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported that the ambassador to Myanmar wished authorities good luck in tweets that …

Iran rejects as “irresponsible” comments by France that it is seriously considering triggering a mechanism within the Iran nuclear deal that could lead to U.N. sanctions, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Thursday. “Iran’s scaling back of its nuclear commitments was implementation of its legal rights to react …

A Malaysian minister warned on Wednesday that the Islamic State militant group may shift its base of operations to Southeast Asia after the death of its leader, according to a media report. Authorities in the region have said it will be a long battle to thwart the jihadist group’s ideology, …

Turkey is refusing to back a NATO defense plan for the Baltics and Poland until the alliance offers Ankara more political support for its fight against Kurdish YPG militia in northern Syria, four senior alliance sources said. Ankara has told its NATO envoy not to sign off on the plan …

The OPEC’s Joint Technical Committee (JTC) that reviews the state of the oil market has scheduled a meeting for afternoon of Dec. 3 in Vienna, an OPEC source said. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries meets on Dec. 5 at its headquarters in Vienna, followed by talks with other …

A French naval base in Abu Dhabi will serve as the headquarters for a European-led mission to protect Gulf waters that will be operational soon, France’s defense minister said on Sunday. France is the main proponent of a plan to build a European-led maritime force to ensure safe shipping in the …

The United States and France are boosting Saudi Arabia’s radar systems following crippling drone and cruise missile attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure in September, which Washington blames on Iran. The chief of the U.S. Central Command and France’s defense minister, whose countries have taken divergent approaches to Iran, also touted …

Iran has asked Russia to provide an additional $2 billion loan for projects including the construction of thermal power plants, hydroelectric power plants, railroads and subway carriages, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Saturday. “They’re asking for about $2 billion… They say they were promised $5 billion in 2015… …

South Africa is blocking arms sales to countries including Saudi Arabia and the UAE in an inspections dispute, endangering billions of dollars of business and thousands of jobs in its struggling defense sector, according to industry officials. The dispute centers on a clause in export documents that requires foreign customers …

Spain is heading towards a money laundering trial against an uncle of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, the High Court said on Friday, after an investigating judge finished his probe. The prosecuting office has ten days to comment on the judge’s recommendation that the case goes ahead, which is considered a …

Malaysian state energy company Petronas [PETR.UL] said on Friday it will not participate in Saudi Aramco’s initial public offering, expected to be the world’s biggest share sale. Aramco plans to sell 1.5% of the company in the offering, looking to raise up to $25.6 billion and giving the company a …

Russia said on Tuesday it was bewildered by a Turkish pledge to conduct a new military operation in northern Syria if the area was not cleared of people Ankara calls terrorists, warning that any such move would damage efforts to stabilise the region. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was cited …

Erdogan’s Turkey could best be described as America’s worst friend or best enemy.  Even though they are allies by treaty, the US and Turkey have tended to go separate ways over the last few years.  While the US has sanctioned Iran, Turkey has abetted the sanctions.  Although a NATO partner, …

Turkey bought S-400 missile defense systems from Russia to use them, not put them aside, the head of the Turkish Defense Industry Directorate said on Saturday, days after talks between President Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump. Erdogan and Trump held talks in Washington on Wednesday to overcome increasing …

Cyprus on Friday accused Turkey of violating international law by launching operations off the island in search of oil and gas. Earlier on Friday, Turkish vice president Fuat Oktay was quoted as saying the drilling ship Fatih had started operations off the north-north-east coast of Cyprus. On Monday, the EU …

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Saudi Arabia was taking a tough stance on the output deal between OPEC and its allies because of Saudi Aramco’s initial public offering, but that Moscow respected Riyadh’s interests. Speaking to reporters in Brazil at a summit for BRICS countries, Putin said …