http://www.iks-company.com/rss http://www.iks-company.com/en/news/34/ "The new rail link between Mazar-e-Sharif and Hairatan will help reduce trade bottlenecks, boost commerce, and speed the flow of much-needed humanitarian assistance," Mr. Kuroda said at the opening ceremony in Hairatan.

"It represents Afghanistan's emergence as a regional crossroad for trade and commerce and – most importantly – the aspirations of Afghanistan's people to redefine their country's role in the region and in the world."

The rail link is being constructed from a $165 million ADB grant and should be completed by the end of this year. It will connect Afghanistan to Uzbekistan's expansive rail network, and to regional markets in Europe and Asia. Future links are planned, which will run across the north and to other parts of the country and region, including Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr. Kuroda met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Finance Minister and ADB Governor Omar Zakhilwal, ADB Alternate Governor Abdul Qadeer Fitrat and other senior government officials in the capital, Kabul. In his remarks at an official luncheon, Mr. Kuroda said the rail link is a hallmark of the eight-member Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program (CAREC), which Afghanistan joined in 2005.

"Afghanistan is at the heart of CAREC, and ADB's projects in the country's road, rail and energy sectors dovetail perfectly with CAREC's vision of helping Central Asia reap the benefit of its strategic location," Mr. Kuroda said.

From 2002 to the end of last year, ADB has provided Afghanistan with approximately $2.1 billion in loans, grants, technical assistance and cofinancing. ADB's focus on infrastructure and regional cooperation is primarily demonstrated in the transport and energy sectors. Other major ADB projects in Afghanistan include portions of the North East Power System, which this time last year began bringing a regular supply of electricity into Kabul from Uzbekistan, and rehabilitation and construction of the northern portion of the country's Ring Road.

About ADB

http://www.iks-company.com/en/news/33/ Welcoming the guest, head of our state noted in particular: "I take this opportunity to thank the President of the People's Republic of China Mr. Hu Jintao for a decision to send such a representative delegation led by You to the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank in Tashkent."

"It will surely provide a corresponding impetus and weight to an international forum of such level. We in Uzbekistan highly appreciate and value the close, friendly relations established between our countries, and know well what lies behind the current growth of China's prestige and influence in world affairs, which was laid in the renowned reforms course by Deng Xiaoping," Islam Karimov added.

The constructive nature of Uzbek-Chinese summit meetings has proved particularly critical in the steady development of bilateral relations. Contacts between specialists and representatives of business circles of our nations at different levels have been constant and productive. Uzbekistan and China vigorously cooperate, in particular, in the framework of Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The most favored nation regime in trade and economic cooperation between our countries has been practical since 1994. China has established itself as one of the major economic partners of Uzbekistan. In 2009, for instance, mutual trade turnover exceeded two billion US dollars. 223 Uzbek-Chinese joint ventures are active in our country.

During the meeting in Oqsaroy, Xie Xuren expressed his sincere gratitude to the head of our nation for the warm welcome, highly appraising the magnitude and practical effect of the Uzbek model of economy and the anti-crisis program successfully implemented in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

http://www.iks-company.com/en/news/32/ He cordially welcomed participants, representatives of high-profile international organizations and all guests who have arrived in the Uzbek capital.

"It is a great honor for us that the capital of our country is the first among the states of Central Asia and Caucasus that was chosen as a venue to hold this important event, and we would like to express the sincerest gratitude to the governments of the ADB member-countries that took this decision," he emphasized.

In his speech the President Islam Karimov briefly touched upon some issues which have an immediate relation to the meeting's agenda.

"The past 2009 became truly the year of serious stress test for the world economy, and practically there was not a single country which avoided the negative consequences of the global financial and economic crisis. And today, despite the assessments of the respected international analysts and experts that the most acute and rather hurting phase of the crisis is overcome, nevertheless we are facing very complex, quite painful and lasting process of economic recovery," he said.

"While analyzing the problems that emerge in the course of addressing the crisis of the world economy, we ought to pay our attention, above all, to unstable and low growth rates, outstanding high unemployment, notable deterioration of financial state of the real sector of economy and decreasing of the population's real incomes," the Uzbek leader noted.

He said the large fiscal deficits taking in some countries threatening scales and growth of a public debt may lead to a serious tension with regard to paying off these debts and possible defaults. The low level and in some cases decline of domestic demand are being observed, and this, in its turn, hinders return to stable and sustainable output growth rates.

"We believe that we should agree with the opinion of many leading world experts that the excess liquidity and further pumping banking and financial sector with financial resources create conditions for an outburst of speculative capital, inflating the so-called bubbles on the stock and commodities markets and these factors may well lead to a new collapse on the financial and foreign exchange markets with all related consequences in the future," he added.

"It goes without saying that growing emission and increase of money supply bring about a potentially dangerous situation of inflation processes. We have to speak time and again that many, especially the developed countries, are carried away by protectionist measures, which first and foremost trigger significant problems for the developing countries and in general for recovery and development of the world economy," Islam Karimov said.

Uzbek President noted that the degree and depth of susceptibility of each particular country to the impact of the world crisis, above all, depends on the model of reforms being implemented, sustainability and reliability of the financial-economic and banking systems and the protective mechanisms put in them are strong.

In this respect, Islam Karimov touched upon the Uzbek model of development and reforming the economy adopted in the early years of the country's independence in 1992. "Today we have all grounds to state that during the past period, in particular, during the period of extreme impact of the crisis processes, this model has completely justified itself," he said.

The sufficient resources and a reliable margin of safety of the financial and banking system created during the past period, prudent and balanced economic policy, the measures to protect the economy against the influence of a speculative capital, unmanageable turmoil and lack of control on the world financial and stock markets, as well as the strict control over the macro-economic balance of the economy, have had a profound importance in mitigating the destructive impact of the crisis.

The timely, adequate and targeted nature of the Anti-crisis program for 2009-2012 adopted in Uzbekistan have played an enormous role in countering the crisis and neutralizing its negative consequences.

Along with rendering the needed assistance to the banking sector, the support, firstly, of the financial stability of the real economy, easing the tax burden and providing this sector, especially the export-oriented enterprises with necessary privileges and preferences, as well as the measures to reduce costs and raise profitability through modernization, technical and technological re-equipment and diversification of production, stood as the most important priorities in implementing the Anti-crisis program.

The exclusive attention being paid in the country to developing the services sector, small businesses and private entrepreneurship played a vital role in tackling the crisis and ensuring sustainability of the economy's development.

The implementation of the large-scale social, infrastructure, transport and communication projects, through which we have addressed the tasks of creating new jobs and raising the population's incomes were rather important in achieving the objectives of the Anti-crisis program.

"I would like to emphasize that the measures taken in the framework of the Anti-crisis program pursue the prospective targets that go far beyond simply countering the crisis and neutralizing its consequences," the President of Uzbekistan noted.

"We do realize that those countries which have by now already started laying the foundations and launching the long-term innovative projects aimed at deep structural changes and diversification of production will definitely benefit in the post-crisis period."

"Uzbekistan highly values the growing cooperation with the Asian Development Bank and considers it as the most important strategic partner which for over the last years has become for us a leading international financial institution both by the size of credit portfolio and in the framework of regional cooperation in Central Asia," the Uzbek President noted.

Since 1996 Uzbekistan has completed 11 projects worth over $520 million out of allocated $1.2 billion of credit resources. The country is continuing to implement other 15 projects worth over $650 million.

"We note with a great appreciation that nowadays our cooperation is considerably expanding and reaching a new level. During the ADB Annual meeting in Tashkent we have signed additional four loan agreements worth in total more than $1.15 billion, i.e. the ADB in fact has doubled its credit portfolio in our country," he added.

"Today we are fully convinced that such significant components of our cooperation as reliability and commitment to partnership, and certainly, a purposeful utilization by Uzbekistan of the provided funds shall be ensured furthermore," Islam Karimov emphasized.

The ADB could become for Uzbekistan a key partner in implementing the programs of structural reforms and diversification of the economy that are extremely important for the country, the head of our state said touching upon his vision of the priorities of Uzbekistan's cooperation with the Asian Development Bank.

"These programs are aimed at the deep processing of rich natural resources, mineral, hydrocarbon and agricultural raw materials to change the quality and increase the share of the high-technological and competitive goods in the export structure," he noted. "We mean implementation of the projects of modernization, technical and technological re-equipment of the leading branches of Uzbekistan's economy, including mining, oil and gas, chemical and textile industries".

The most important priorities of Uzbekistan's modernization strategy include development of modern transport communications system, implementation of such projects as construction of the Uzbek national highway, establishment of the inter-modal logistics center at the Navoi Airport, extensive renewal of the rolling-stock and extension of the railway network.

"We highly appreciate the fact that during the ADB Annual Meeting we have signed the agreement on allocating the loan worth $600 million for the purposes of construction and modernization of the Uzbek national highway," the President of Uzbekistan said.

Another direction of cooperation is support and further development of private businesses and non-state sector of the economy. If in 1991 the non-state sector made up just less than 3% of the Uzbek economy, then today its share in the GDP is over 80%, and in the certain leading branches of economy, i.e. agriculture, construction, telecommunications, retail and services, the private form of ownership equals to about 100%.

"Along with this, we see a large prospect in further expanding and enhancing the positions of the private sector of economy, in particular, in such sectors as electric energy, chemical, light, food, electro-technical and machine-building industry, in the banking and financial services, and other leading branches of the economy," the Uzbek leader noted.

Uzbekistan and ADB should develop cooperation to further reform and strengthen material resources of agriculture and related branches, he said adding: "One should not forget that in Uzbekistan more than 95% of agricultural products are cultivated on irrigated lands. Therefore introduction of the latest water-saving technologies is vitally significant given growing shortage of water resources in the region."

"In such conditions we will have to accomplish the large-scale works to radically improve and reclaim irrigated lands that suffer from massive salinization and here we see a prospective direction of cooperation with the ADB," he said.

Support of the social sector development, strengthening the modern basis of the education and healthcare systems are additional directions of possible cooperation. "The support of the country's potential of secondary, professional-technical and higher education, the sphere of healthcare, motherhood and childhood, providing them with cutting-edge equipment, computer and information-communications technology, implementation of the advanced methods of diagnostics and treatment in healthcare, - all these aspects stand as very important directions of cooperation, where we feel a huge need," Islam Karimov noted.

"We appreciate that the ADB takes an active part in developing financial and banking system of Uzbekistan, including projects of improvement of public finances, allocation of credit lines for commercial banks and non-banking credit institutions, and participating in the capital of the rapidly developing private Uzbek banks," Uzbek President said. "We are convinced that in this sphere of cooperation we have good prospects, too."

"During the uneasy period of the global financial and economic crisis the Asian Development Bank, its Board of Governors and the ADB President Mr. Kuroda demonstrated effective and well-coordinated work, which provided a timely reaction to challenges caused by the crisis, were able to elaborate and introduce the new instruments and non-trivial approaches to mitigate the consequences of the crisis," Islam Karimov underlined.

"Nowadays, the countries of Asia – the most dynamically developing region of the world which managed better than others the destructive impact of the crisis – are facing the new challenges both in the sphere of economic development, ensuring balanced economic growth and in the matters related to regional stability and security. The solution of these issues requires concerted and well-coordinated work of international organizations, financial institutions and governments," he concluded.

http://www.iks-company.com/en/news/31/ Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Haruhiko Kuroda on Saturday signed a $350 million loan agreement to boost the efficiency of Uzbekistan's electricity supply through the construction of a new combined cycle gas turbine.

Mr. Kuroda signed the financing agreement with Uzbekistan Finance Minister Rustam Azimov at a ceremony on the eve of ADB's 43rd Annual Meeting in Tashkent.

The ADB financing will help fund the construction of the Talimarjan Clean Power Project, Central Asia's first 800 MW combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant. Located 440 kilometers south west of Tashkent, the new facility will increase energy efficiency and save energy through clean power generation.

Uzbekistan has the most industrialized and energy intensive economy in Central Asia. It uses four times more energy than the world average to produce one dollar of gross domestic product. This is due to aging and dilapidated energy infrastructure, low technological base and lack of investment.

The Talimarjan Clean Power Project will cost a total of $1.28 billion. The ADB loan will be complemented by co-financing of up to $300 million from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), with the remaining $630 million to be financed by the Uzbekistan government, the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and the country's power utility company.

"It is significant that this occasion has served to confirm the three-way partnerships among Uzbekistan, Japan and ADB," President Kuroda said at the ceremony, which was attended by Japan's ambassador to Uzbekistan, Mr. Tsutomu Hiraoka.

In addition to the Talimarjan Clean Power Project loan, President Kuroda signed the $115 million first loan installment under a $600 million multitranche financing facility that will include reconstruction of over 220 kilometers of one of the main road corridors of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program (CAREC). CAREC Corridor 2 connects Uzbekistan to Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.

Other loans signed on Saturday covered water supply and a microfinance project to help small enterprises, mostly in rural Uzbekistan.

http://www.iks-company.com/en/news/30/
Mr. Bernard Pascal, Assistant Country Director of ACTED Uzbekistan, began the meeting with explanation of the ACTED activity in Uzbekistan. He said that the activity is divided into three components. Health promotion component is very active in Fergana valley. Other components include support to micro-finance and agriculture development in Surkhnadarya and Kashkadarya. Favorable conditions after the introduction of the microfinance law now give the opportunity for ACTED to support the creation of a local micro finance company.

Main partners of the ACTED currently are the EU and NOVIB.

ACTED wishes to expend its activities in Uzbekistan. Participants of the IKS Group supported this idea and they expressed interest in joint collaboration in this issue through the Association of Engineers component of the IKS Group.

http://www.iks-company.com/en/news/28/
IKS Group of Companies met with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Uzbekistan. Development Cooperation issues were discussed during the meeting. Representatives of JICA in Uzbekistan noted that Human Resource and Institutional Development for Economic Development, Agricultural Reform and Rural Development, Improvement of Public Service, Improvement of Infrastructure are the main areas for JICA’s cooperation in Uzbekistan.
http://www.iks-company.com/en/news/27/

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide Uzbekistan $75.3 million loan to upgrade a key highway that is an integral part of a regional transport corridor across Central Asia.

The move comes a month after eight countries in and around Central Asia agreed to an $18 billion strategy to improve roads, airports, railways, and ports to make the region a vital transit route for trade between Europe and Asia – a modern-day equivalent of the ancient Silk Road.

The new loan will be used to upgrade two sections of the A-380 highway, a 1,204 kilometer road that runs from the Kazakh border in Uzbekistan’s north toward Afghanistan and Turkmenistan in the south.

The first road section to be reconstructed is 40 kilometers long in Kungrad District of the Republic of Karakalpakstan. The second is 91 kilometers long in the Khazarsp District of Khorezm Province and Tortkul District of the Republic of Karakalpakstan. International competitive bidding for the civil works will be applied for the first time.

“Upgrading the road will cut travel times and reduce transport costs,” said Olly Norojono, a Transport Economist with ADB. “This highway is essential for enhancing regional integration and economic growth in Central Asia.”

Part of the loan will also be used to help the Government of Uzbekistan strengthen the operation and maintenance of the country’s road network by improving road-sector institutions, planning and budgeting, as well as the provision of road-building equipment.

Insufficient maintenance in the past has led to the deterioration of roads. While the Government has made progress in fixing the problem, the budget for maintaining primary roads hasn’t been sufficient.

The total cost of highway upgrade and strengthening the road sector capacity is $173.5 million. In addition to the $75.3 million provided by ADB, the Government is investing $98.2 million.

The strategy to invest in transport corridors in and around Central Asia was agreed at a meeting in Dushanbe on November 3 of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program, which is sponsored by ADB. In addition to Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, People’s Republic of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, and Tajikistan have agreed to the strategy.

Ref. http://www.adb.org/Media/Articles/2007/12353-uzbekistan-roads-projects/default.asp
http://www.iks-company.com/en/news/26/

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (19 December 2007) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing a $3 million grant to facilitate trade among member nations of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) as part of efforts to promote sustained economic progress across the region.

The Integrated Trade Facilitation Support for CAREC will receive an additional $600,000 from the governments of CAREC countries to complete the funding requirement.

“The outcome of the project is greater volume of trade due to time and cost savings as a result of coordinated cross-border regulations, procedures and standards, as well as improved trade logistics,” said Ying Qian, Principal Economist of ADB’s East Asia Department.

The project supports the implementation of the trade facilitation component of the Transport and Trade Facilitation Strategy endorsed by the sixth Ministerial Conference on CAREC in November 2007. CAREC is composed of Azerbaijan, People’s Republic of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. Turkmenistan also participates in CAREC’s trade facilitation work.

Strengthened customs cooperation is the core program of the trade facilitation strategy. The project will also come up with an expanded scope of the work program to address broader issues of trade facilitation, focus on trade facilitation efforts on the CAREC transport corridors, adopt a results-based approach in monitoring time and cost savings as the key indicators of the program, and support logistics assessments and planning focusing on priority corridors and developing national and regional implementation strategies to facilitate trade.

The project will also support bilateral initiatives among CAREC countries and enhance partnership between CAREC’s participating multilateral institutions and key international agencies supporting customs reform, trade facilitation and logistics development in the region. It will also promote dialogue and cooperation with the private sector, which would help formulate and utilize trade facilitation measures, and undertake capacity building in areas of integrated trade facilitation and in broader areas related to trade and transport. The project will also produce knowledge products such as policy and strategic papers.

Trade facilitation plays a vital role for CAREC countries, especially in expanding intra- and interregional trade, which spur investments and economic growth in the long term. Trade facilitation refers to a wide range of activities such as import and export procedures, transport formalities, payments, and insurance and other financial requirements.

Despite years of reform and intensified regional cooperation efforts, the participation of Central Asian countries in international trade remains limited mainly due to the unnecessarily high costs of trade due to, among other reasons, the countries being landlocked, which makes trade and transit problematic.

At most borders, it is necessary to comply with a range of procedures in addition to customs, including animal quarantine, inspection of plants and other agricultural materials, checking of drivers’ licenses, axle loads, and compliance with other road rules.

Simplification and harmonization of such procedures are integral to trade facilitation. While international agreements on standard norms can help, a key requirement is to shift policy to place more emphasis on trade facilitation rather than trade control.

Ref. http://www.adb.org/Media/Articles/2007/12346-central-asian-trades/default.asp


http://www.iks-company.com/en/news/25/

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide Uzbekistan with a $30 million loan to improve education in rural areas with equipment for laboratories and other teaching and learning materials, as well as enhancing teacher training.

Uzbekistan has a solid basic education system, reaching 99% of school-age children. However, there are still major challenges to improve the quality of the education to meet international standards. To achieve this, the Government of Uzbekistan has launched a major program to upgrade the education system by 2009. Part of that initiative is to remove disparities between schools in rural areas and those in towns and cities.

About 80% of Uzbekistan’s 9,773 schools are in rural and remote areas. Many of them lack resources. Major needs include the rehabilitation of school facilities which is being taken care by the Government under the National Program for Basic Education Development, equipment for science laboratories, the update of teaching techniques and the improvement of community participation in school life.

The Government is committed to increase opportunities in rural areas by enhancing school facilities and has asked ADB for support by expanding its ongoing assistance to the country, which includes updating the curriculum, textbook development and promoting information and communication technology in education.

“ADB has a comprehensive program to support the Government of Uzbekistan in the challenging effort of improving the education system. A major issue is improving opportunities for students in rural and remote areas, where fewer funds are available. If we can do this, it will have a big impact on poverty levels,” said Ms Manuela Prina, a social sector specialist at ADB. “We will provide better opportunities not only for students to stay in school and proceed to higher education and therefore find better jobs, but also for rural communities, which will benefit from modern schools and upgraded facilities.”

As part of the new project, rural schools upgraded under the Government’s program will be equipped with laboratories and provided with teaching and learning materials, teacher training institutions and district education departments will be strengthened and community participation in school life increased.

“Although training programs for teachers have been gradually revised, the current in-service training system needs to become more flexible to adjust to specific subject-related requirements of teachers in rural schools, who work in difficult circumstances.”

“Many teachers still apply traditional teaching methods, devoting attention generally to narrow subject knowledge, requiring students to memorize and repeat notions and definitions,” Ms Prina said. “Critical thinking, problem solving, communication skills and teamwork do not receive sufficient attention.”

About 670,000 students and 63,000 teachers will benefit in the three project regions (oblasts) – Tashkent oblast, Surkhandarya and Kashkadarya. The latter two were chosen because they are among the poorest regions in the country, while Tashkent oblast was picked because of the high disparity between the urban and rural areas. The project has been designed to be completed by the end of 2011.

Ref. http://www.adb.org/Media/Articles/2007/12320-uzbekistani-educational-projects/default.asp
http://www.iks-company.com/en/news/24/
As Country Director of the Tajikistan Resident Mission (TJRM), Mr. Ojiro will be responsible for delivering ADB’s development assistance program to Tajikistan, totaling nearly $190 million over the next three years, as provided in the Tajikistan Country Operations Business Plan for 2008-2010. He will also oversee the implementation of ADB’s current investment portfolio in Tajikistan, consisting of 14 investment projects totaling around $292 million, two of which are delegated to TJRM for implementation. Mr. Ojiro will also continue to work with the government and development partners for improved regional economic cooperation in Central Asia.
“I am very excited and consider myself to be highly fortunate to be working in such a dynamic country as Tajikistan. I look forward to my assignment here,” said Mr. Ojiro.
Mr. Ojiro joined ADB in 1992, and has served in various capacities. Prior to joining TJRM, he worked as a principal transport economist at ADB Headquarters in Manila. Mr. Ojiro has 18 years of professional experience in country programming work and processing and implementing transport projects in Asia. This includes formulation of the Country Partnership Strategies for China, Mongolia and the Kyrgyz Republic; processing 10 ADB loans for highways and roads in China, Mongolia and the Kyrgyz Republic; developing road sector policies and strategies for these three countries; and carrying out economic and sector analysis for roads, railways, ports and civil aviation in 13 countries.
Mr. Ojiro holds a Bachelor’s degree in business/economics from Sophia University, Japan, and a Master’s in project management, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, U.K.
Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998. ADB has provided assistance to Tajikistan’s economy, mainly in rural development and agriculture, transport, energy and social sectors. As of Nov. 15, 2007, Tajikistan has received $352.5 million in loans, $33.0 million in technical assistance and $39.5 million in grants.

Ref. http://www.adb.org/Media/Articles/2007/12308-tajikistan-directors-appointments/default.asp

http://www.iks-company.com/en/news/23/

BEPPU, JAPAN - Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Haruhiko Kuroda today called on all countries in the Asia and Pacific region to make a fundamental change in the way they manage water to build a sustainable future.

“We need to change the way we think about water – change to a broader perspective that considers all facets of economic and social development,” said Mr. Kuroda in his address to the first Asia-Pacific Water Summit.

ADB regards better water management as a crucial challenge for the Asia and Pacific region, where more than 600 million people lack access to safe drinking water and 2 billion people have inadequate, or are without, sanitation facilities.

Energy, food, environment and industrial policies are all intimately linked to water. Policies in all these areas will similarly be influenced by external forces like demographic transitions, advances in technology and communication, globalization and free trade.

“All of these factors must be considered holistically in order to build a sustainable future toward and beyond Millennium Development Goals,” Mr. Kuroda said.

Calling for strong political will and practical, forward-looking actions, Mr. Kuroda stressed the need to move water higher up on the local, national, regional and international policy agendas.

He noted that most of the region’s water problems are solvable through more appropriate planning and management. Specific solutions will vary according to each country’s particular circumstances. However, Mr. Kuroda said, some fundamentals can apply across the board: reliable, accessible data on water; related social, economic and environmental factors; strong partnerships among governments, the private sector, civil society and others; water quality management; and capacity building for new skills, new approaches and new mindsets.

ADB is committed to helping its developing member countries address their water challenges with the vision of water for all in the Asia and Pacific region. ADB expects to sharply increase its investments in the water sector through its Water Financing Program, which directs funds, reforms and capacity development programs at rural communities, cities and river basins. As part of ADB’s contribution to the Summit, ADB published the Asia Water Development Outlook on November 29 – a report that assesses the region’s current and future water problems and proposes the policy measures that can help solve them.

Reference: http://www.adb.org/Media/Articles/2007/12306-asian-water-managements/default.asp
http://www.iks-company.com/en/news/22/ The Global Accountability Report, initiated in 2006, presents One World Trust’s assessment of the accountability of the world's most powerful organizations from the intergovernmental, corporate and non-governmental sectors to the people they affect. The Report analyzes organizations according to four dimensions of accountability defined by the Global Accountability Framework: transparency, participation, evaluation, and complaint and response mechanisms.

“ADB is pleased to be included in this year’s Global Accountability Report and most encouraged by the high ranking it has received,” said ADB Vice-President C. Lawrence Greenwood, Jr. “The Report is a useful tool that can help ADB measure its effectiveness as a development institution in promoting transparency and other dimensions of accountability through its policies and its work. However, while the report shows our efforts have been successful, we can’t become complacent, and we will continue to improve. For ADB to succeed in its work to fight poverty in the Asia and Pacific region, where two-thirds of the world’s poor still live, we must be responsive and accountable to the public we serve.”

One World Trust rated ADB as one of three top performers among all 30 assessed organizations, achieving high scores in all four dimensions of accountability including 100 per cent in transparency, and 81 per cent in overall accountability.

Under the Bank’s Public Communications Policy, ADB is committed to making information proactively available and responding to information requests in a timely manner so that stakeholders may learn about and contribute to ADB-supported development activities.

The Report also highlighted ADB’s handbook on stakeholder engagement.

“The Guide provides tools to make the consultation and other forms of participation more accessible and effective for staff and helps them fulfill obligations and strategic objectives to consult with civil society and other stakeholders,” the Report said.

One World Trust promotes education and research into the changes required within global organizations to eradicate poverty, injustice and war. It conducts research on practical ways to make global organizations more responsive to the people they affect.


Reference: http://www.adb.org/Media/Articles/2007/12302-independent-report-gives-adb-high-marks-for-accountability/default.asp
http://www.iks-company.com/en/news/21/ "The creation of this new Centre for Financial Reporting Reform highlights the Bank's continued effort to improve its services to clients in the new member states of the European Union as well as those countries in Southeast Europe that aspire towards European integration," said Shigeo Katsu, World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, who was on hand to open the new center. "It's also a good demonstration of the Bank's commitment to operate in close cooperation with partners from the European Union in order to provide high quality services that are timely and client oriented. It demonstrates the Bank's interest in working creatively with middle income countries in order to better target their needs as they develop."

The new office will provide advice and analysis on targeted accounting policy reforms, build capacity with civil servants from governments in the region, and provide cross support the Bank's other operations in the region.

'This is an important milestone in the work of the World Bank and emphasizes its commitment to strengthening financial reporting standards in Europe and Central Asia. I am also convinced that the opening of this office will further strengthen the excellent cooperation between our institutions' said EU Internal Market Commissioner Charles McGreevy, who delivered a key-note speech at the opening.

CFRR team is expected to have about 20 staff and it will be working on financial management, auditing & accounting, private sector development, project management and administrative issues. To mark this important initiative the opening event was hosted by the Austrian Ministry of Finance, a key donor to the initiative that will also make offices available for the CFRR's operations.

"Austria is proud to host the new World Bank office which seeks to create stable markets, stabilize economic development and strengthen the private sector. This is central for a good cooperation in the global economy and successful economic and social policies," said Wilhelm Molterer, Austrian Finance Minister.

CFRR's activities are both fee-for-service based and funded by donors. It is currently supported by the European Commission, SECO, Austrian Development Agency and Austrian Government, USAID, FIRST Initiative, and the Foreign Ministries of the Japan, Netherlands, Canada and Ireland.

- ### -

For more information, please visit CFRR's website at: www.worldbank.org/cfrr

For more information on World Bank's Europe operations, please visit:
www.worldbank.org/eca

http://www.iks-company.com/en/news/20/ MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing financial assistance to rehabilitate a key regional road network to reduce transport costs and foster trade and cooperation among Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, other Central Asian nations, and neighboring People’s Republic of China (PRC).

ADB will provide $79 million in loans and grants to cover most of the funding needs of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Regional Road Corridor Improvement Project, which is estimated to cost $116 million. ADB will extend a $40.9 million loan and a $12.5 million grant to Tajikistan, while Kyrgyz Republic will receive a $25.6 million grant for the project. The balance will be covered by the governments of the two countries.

In addition, ADB will extend a $500,000 grant to help prepare the cross-border agreement among Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and PRC that will facilitate smooth trans-border movement of people and goods and remove barriers to regional trade and transport.

The project involves the rehabilitation of 263 kilometers of the 550-kilometer road corridor linking the People’s Republic of China, Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan. The road corridor is a key transport artery for the two landlocked countries to trade with the People’s Republic of China and is also an integral part of the regional road network in Central Asia. More broadly, it forms part of the Asian highway network connecting, through Afghanistan, the ocean ports of Iran and Pakistan to Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation.

Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan face increasing demand for regional access and trade as they are strategically located to serve the transit needs of their rapidly growing neighbors, such as Kazakhstan and PRC. Both countries, however, are mountainous, landlocked and suffer from frequent natural calamities and their respective transport sectors operate inefficiently with minimal maintenance due to lack of funding.

“To realize their full potential as channels of regional trade, Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan must remove barriers to regional trade and cooperation, build efficient and integrated transport systems and catch up on the shortfall in sector financing and investment,” said Rustam Ishenaliev, transport specialist of ADB’s Central and West Asia Department.

Trade volumes in the Central Asian Republics have more than doubled in recent years, from $17.7 million in 1999 to $44.5 million in 2005. The People’s Republic of China has emerged as a major trading partner for the region, but so far only as an exporter. Most of the traded goods are carried by rail, which is inexpensive but circuitous and slow.

The biggest increase in trade with PRC has been with Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan. In 2005, trade with PRC accounted for $1.05 billion, or 35.4%, in Kyrgyz Republic and $158 million, or 6.7%, in Tajikistan, representing a 15-fold and 20-fold increase, respectively, compared with levels in 2001. But in both countries, the rise has been mainly on the import side.

It is expected that once the road corridor and associated border infrastructure and procedures are improved, the road share of imports by the People’s Republic of China will grow significantly and the proportion of exports by Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan will pick up gradually.

The rehabilitation of the road network is a priority under the Transport Sector Strategy of the CAREC Program, which seeks to promote economic growth and raise living standards in Central Asia by encouraging economic cooperation. To date, the Program has focused on financing infrastructure projects and improving the region's policy environment in the priority areas of transport, energy, trade policy, and trade facilitation. CAREC participants are the People’s Republic of China, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

http://www.iks-company.com/en/news/19/ DUSHANBE, TAJIKISTAN - Eight countries on Saturday agreed to an $18 billion strategy to improve Central Asia’s network of roads, airports, railway lines and seaports to make the region a vital transit route for trade between Europe and Asia – a modern-day equivalent of the ancient Silk Road.

The plan was agreed at a meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan attended by Ministers from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, People’s Republic of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and supported by ADB and five other multilateral institutions.

“Central Asia is becoming a pivotal region in Eurasia, a vital land-bridge linking Europe, Russian Federation, People's Republic of China, South Asia, and the Middle East,” the Ministers said in a joint declaration at the end of the 6th Ministerial Conference of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program.

“The strategy will establish competitive transport corridors across the CAREC region, facilitate movement of people and goods across borders, and develop safe, dependable, effective, efficient, and fully integrated transport systems that are environmentally sustainable,” the statement said.

Even though Central Asia lies at the center of the Eurasian continent, less than 1% of all trade between Europe and Asia currently goes through the region. Inadequate transport infrastructure and cumbersome border processes have resulted in nearly all trade going by sea.

The plan calls for $18.7 billion investment over the next decade in six new transport corridors, mainly roads and rail links. About half of the funds are likely to come from multilateral organizations like ADB, while the rest will come from the countries themselves.

“This is a large and ambitious strategy. It encompasses dozens of projects and will require more than $18 billion in investments over the next decade,” ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda said in a speech at the conference.

“I am confident that with the unwavering involvement of each country and each institution participating in the CAREC Program here today, the active implementation of this strategy has the potential to transform the region's economic prospects and the lives of its people. “

The plan also calls for the improvement of border crossings to speed trade flows. Customs and immigration procedures are currently bottlenecks for trade in the region.

Historically, Central Asia was braided by multiple routes linking east and west, known as the Silk Road and dating back more than 2,000 years. It was an important economic artery that stretched more than 10,000 kilometers (6,000 miles), from the Mediterranean to China's Yellow River Valley.

The proposed new transport corridors do not follow the exact routes taken by the Silk Road and will not only be orientated east-west, but also north-south, connecting the Central Asian Republics, Russia and China with South Asia and the Gulf.

Titled the Transport and Trade Facilitation Strategy, the plan was proposed by the CAREC Program, which is an ADB-supported initiative to encourage economic cooperation in Central Asia and was established in 1997.

"Creation of safe and reliable transport corridors, together with measures on simplified trade relations as indicated in the CAREC Transport and Trade Facilitation Strategy, will provide an opportunity to improve the general investment climate and to increase the rate of economic development of the region,” Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon said in his speech at the conference.

At the meeting in Dushanbe, the Ministers also agreed to a shared vision for their region for the next decade. It included the aspiration that by 2018 all countries will be members of the World Trade Organization.


“Our shared objectives are to significantly increase official trade among CAREC countries as well as with non-CAREC countries and to facilitate and improve the quality of transit trade so as to better integrate with global markets and foreign investors,” the statement says.

“We remain unanimous in our view that regional cooperation is vital to achieving rapid, sustainable economic growth, and to accelerating our progress in reducing poverty and generating greater prosperity for all of our people.”

The vision also says that by 2018, governments aim to “fulfill Central Asia’s potential as an energy hub” to ensure no community is without reliable and affordable electricity.

“We envision greatly increased cooperation among CAREC countries, drawing on the vast petroleum, natural gas, coal, hydropower, and other energy resources of the region,” it says.

It says that by 2018, CAREC countries will be cooperating extensively to deal with regional challenges, such as environmental problems, communicable diseases like bird flu or HIV/AIDS, and disaster management and preparedness.

The eight countries attending the Dushanbe conference were joined by senior representatives of an alliance of multilateral institutions that also participate in CAREC, namely, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Monetary Fund, Islamic Development Bank, United Nations Development Programme, and World Bank - in addition to ADB.

Ministers at the meeting also endorsed a plan to establish the CAREC Institute, which is intended to act as a focal point for policy discussion to further the process of regional cooperation and integration in Central Asia. It will also help CAREC government officials better engage in regional cooperation processes and to plan and implement regional cooperation projects.