OREANDA-NEWS. January 15, 2009. In the beginning of this month a Japanese daily Sekai Nippo published an article devoted to the contemporary development of Uzbekistan and current condition of the Uzbek-Japanese relations.

The article emphasizes that the road covered by Uzbekistan over 17 years of independent development confirms the correctness of the chosen course of gradual reforms on the path to building a democratic state with socially oriented market economy, and maintaining stability of the country and prosperity of the nation.

It is pointed out that since 1 January 2008 Uzbekistan has abolished death penalty and introduced a democratic institute of justice "habeas corpus". In addition to this, the constitutional law on empowerment of political parties and raising their role in democratization of the society and the law on the guarantees of the rights of child entered into force in 2008. The year was pronounced in Uzbekistan "The Year of Youth", in light of which the Government developed and successfully implemented a special state programme.

Sekai Nippo states that following the independence the dynamics of bilateral relations between Uzbekistan and Japan gained a stable nature as stipulated by the Declaration of Friendship, Strategic Partnership and Cooperation between the Republic of Uzbekistan and Japan of 2002, Jahon reported.

Japan, as one of Uzbekistan's closest partners, strongly supports the reforms being implemented in the country. The offices of the JICA and JETRO, as well as representative offices of twenty-two largest Japanese companies are successfully functioning in Uzbekistan.

More than 10 investment projects are being implemented in Uzbekistan in the spheres of machine engineering, light industry, domestic and foreign trade, maintenance of transportation, and tourism in partnership with Japanese companies. A bright example of this type of joint projects is the manufacturing of Isuzu buses, trucks, and lifting cranes by the Samarkand Automobile Plant.

During the visit of the Minister of Finance of Japan. Mr. Fukushiro Nukaga to the Republic of Uzbekistan in July 2008, the parties discussed in detail the issues concerning the intensification of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, activation of participation of Japanese companies in the projects on construction and technical modernization of industrial enterprises in Uzbekistan.

In August 2008, an intergovernmental Agreement "On liberalization, encouragement and protection of investments" was signed in Tashkent. The document illustrates the fact that bilateral economic cooperation has reached a new level of development and that Japan attributes special importance to the Agreement signed with Uzbekistan.

In the business of strengthening and expanding cultural-humanitarian cooperation between Uzbekistan and Japan, active support is being provided by a number of societies and Friendship Associations of Japan. Among important events of the reporting year were the establishment of a new Association Date-Uzbekistan, and 10th anniversary of the Japan-Uzbekistan Friendship Association. The special occasions were accompanied by the organisation of various exhibitions and presentations of Uzbekistan, which demonstrated rich colours of the Uzbek culture and art to the Japanese society.

Sekai Nippo focuses the attention of the audience on the fact that the Uzbek-Japanese Centre for Human Resources Development, the Silk Road Caravanserai of Culture Scientific-Art Centre are functioning actively in the city of Tashkent, and the office of the Forum of Culture and Art of Uzbekistan Foundation opened in 2006 is successfully operating in Tokyo.