Germany's dialogue with the Uzbek regime: a disgrace for German democracy
24.03.2006 14:15 msk
Galima Bukharbayeva (Berlin)


German politicians in Berlin dislike talking or hearing about the events in Andijan, Uzbekistan, on May 13, 2005, when government troops opened up on protesters and killed hundreds, perhaps, even thousands.
This episode smears the rosy picture of Germany's cooperation with Uzbekistan that enables Berlin to promote its interests in the region. One of these interests includes existence of a military base in Termez in south Uzbekistan.
The Bundeswehr needs the base in Termez for the peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan. The base is apparently more important to Berlin than the lives of innocent residents of Andijan, human rights, or even Germany's own democratic image.
The only country of the West with a military base in Uzbekistan and the only country in the West to maintain military cooperation with the Uzbek regime despite the Andijan massacre, Germany helps the Uzbek state and ...

Cult of personality in Kazakhstan differs from those in neighbor states
10.05.2006 18:18 msk
Rinat Saidullin

Shymkent, a city in the southern part of Kazakhstan, will have its own museum of Kazakh khans and President Nursultan Nazarbayev soon. According to Kamalitdin Dulatov of Kazakh Khandygy Trust, the cost of the project is estimated at approximately $6 million. The local authorities have already allocated the land for the museum (one hectare), and even sponsors have allegedly been found. Construction of the building for the museum is to be over in 2007, the 15th anniversary of sovereignty of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the 550th anniversary of the establishment of the first khanate in Kazakhstan. The coincidence is probably symbolic, aimed to emphasize a parallel between the khans who ruled nomadic tribes once and the irreplaceable leader of Kazakhstan now.
The museum in Shymkent will be the third museum of the President in Kazakhstan. The first one appeared in the borough of Kaskelen located between ...

Koizumi to Talk Uzbekistan Out Of Russia

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi arrived in Uzbekistan Tuesday as part of his four-day trip to Central Asia. Of all leaders of democratic states, Koizumi was the first to meet Uzbek President Islam Karimov after the Andijan bloodshed. Actually, this conciliatory attitude to Koizumi signals Japan has unleashed the battle against Russia for crude oil and gas of Central Asia. More likely than not, Tokyo is led by Washington in this challenge.

Though enwreathed in smiles, neither Koizumi nor Karimov spoke of some definite points canvassed during the talks, when they showed before the reporters after negotiations. The compliments paid by the Japanese leader to Karimov echoed the language he had used a day before in Kazakh capital Astana, aiming it at President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Fortunately, Nazarbayev proved less elusive than his Uzbek counterpart and informed the public at large about negotiated matters. He said Kazakhstan and Japan entered into a nuclear ...

Mansur Maksudi sued Zeromax
16.06.2006 13:43 msk
Yevgeny Khvostik


Two lawsuits against Coca-Cola, the largest producer of soft drinks in the world, amount to $200 million. Mansur Maksudi, former son-in-law of the president of Uzbekistan, filed one of the lawsuits. He claims that the company and the Uzbek authorities unlawfully deprived him of an interest in the Uzbek factory of Coca-Cola. No matter what becomes of the lawsuits, repute of the company is seriously damaged. It found itself involved in a number of scandals in the space of several months.
Another lawsuit against Coca-Cola was filed in Austria, The Financial Times reported. According to the newspaper, Maksudi filed this lawsuit against Coca-Cola and its Uzbek partner Zeromax on June 6. Maksudi's lawyer Stewart Newberger confirmed it and said that one other lawsuit had been filed in America. "We want a recompense from Zeromax to the amount of $100 million," he said. "It follows that sum total of the recompense we demand is $200 million."
These ...

Uzbek MTV broadcasts a number performed by the president's daughter
07.08.2006 16:55 msk
K. Nordonov


Broadcasting on 40Dm frequency since 2005, Uzbek entertainment channel TV-Markaz (colloquially known as MTV) launched a promotion campaign of a number by Gulnara Karimova - the president's daughter. The flick in question concerns the famous Unutma Meni (Forget Me Never). As of late last week, the number is broadcast at the rate of several dozen runs per evening.
Web site Shov-shuv.uz reports that Karimova's repertoire already includes five numbers already. Only one flick has been made so far. Residents of Uzbekistan have known it since January when Karimova herself made the announcement in an interview with the Tashkent-based Bella Terra.
An excerpt from Karimova's interview with Bella Terra (December 2005 - January 2006)
Question: There are the rumors you made a flick to a number you sing...
Gulnara Karimova: I sang a song once and my friends said "Let's make a flick" but they promised it would be a ...

Dimanche 3 septembre à 14 h / Château de Villarceaux, Chaussy, Val-d’Oise
UN CARAVANSÉRAIL À SAMARKAND
Ouverture du Festival d’Ile de France

10 scènes et déambulations: concerts, promenades, ateliers pour les enfants, restauration, village mongol,
artisanat, films...

Khan Bogd, chant, danse, masques (Mongolie)
Delvin Duo, violon, accordéon (Albanie)
Mohi Sitora*, “toy”, fête traditionnelle de mariage (Ouzbékistan)
Shodiana*, trompes, percussions (Ouzbékistan)
Orchestre d’enfants du collège Kokil*, chant, dombra (Kazakhstan)
Tengir-Too*, chants et musiques des bardes (Kirghizstan)
Rysbek Jumabaev, conteur de l’épopée “Manas” (Kirghizstan)
Nurak Abdyrahmanov*, barde, komuz et castellet de chèvres-marionnettes (Kirghizstan)
Aqnazar Alavatov*, Sahiba Davlatshaeva*, chants, danses du Badakshan (Tadjikistan)
Les Gitans Dohad, chant, danse, fakir (Inde)
Fan Yin, vièle erhu, flûte, luth pipa (Chine)
Ahirkapi Roman Orkestrasi, orchestre tzigane (Turquie)
Compagnie ...

>"Whenever I visit the Museum of Victims of Repressions
>in Tashkent, I'm always beset by the feelings of sorrow
>and alarm," a young man told Ferghana.Ru. The young man
>called himself a relative of one of the Uzbeks tried
>and sentenced to imprisonment for involvement with the
>opposition. "So many innocents have already suffered!
>Is all of that supposed to come to pass again now?"
>Shahidlar Hotirasi is the complex located on the bank
>of the Bozsu near the TV tower. It was built
>practically in the center of the capital of Uzbekistan
>on President Islam Karimov's order in 2002. Uzbek
>historians maintain that the complex is located
>precisely at the site where "enemies of the people"
>were executed en masse in the 1930's. A park was
>established there afterwards. The building of the
>memorial resembles ancient mausoleums.
>History of political repressions is what the museum is
>about. Organizers of the museum claim that repressions
>on the territory of modern Uzbekistan began when the
>Turkestan ...