PRESIDENT OF KAZAKHSTAN VISITED TURKISTAN REGION

President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev visited Turkistan Region. Earlier, the head of Kazakhstan visited the city of Shymkent, which has become the city of national significance, and then went to the center of Turkistan region.

In Turkistan, President of Kazakhstan visited the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmet Yassawi and familiarized himself with the plan of development of the administrative center of Turkistan. Then he held a meeting on socio-economic development of the Turkistan region. First Deputy Prime Minister A. Mamin and Akim of Turkistan Region Zh. Tuimebayev delivered a report at the meeting.

After listening to the reports, the President of Kazakhstan underlined the necessity of qualitative and timely implementation of the adopted road map, as well as the necessity of continuous provision of all public services by the regional governance bodies.

Nursultan Nazarbayev focused on some issues that the authorities of the region should pay attention to.

- It is necessary to strengthen the financial stability of the region. Shymkent’s withdrawal from the Region led to the decrease of regional economic base. Today, the region provides only 20% of the budget needs. The main task is to find new sources of growth and source of replenishment of the region's budget," the Head of State said. The President of Kazakhstan emphasized the importance of creating conditions for the employment of population, as well as for the promotion of entrepreneurship, agricultural development and transport-logistics services.

- We need to consider the possibility of creating an international "Central Asia" trade zone. It will give a new impulse to the prosperity of the economy of the country, along with the Turkistan region. By 2020, we have the potential to boost trade with Uzbekistan up to $5 billion. In this regard, I instruct the Government together with the Turkistan administration to work on the establishment of the International Trade Zone jointly with Uzbek side and the establishment of new Turkistan international checkpoint," Nursultan Nazarbayev said.

The President also focused on issues of domestic tourism development and preparation of appropriate tourist infrastructure.

At the meeting, the President of Kazakhstan gave a number of specific instructions to the Government and the region's leadership on further development of the regional center.

- With the aim to the increase the number of urban residents and attract more tourists, I instruct the Akimat jointly with the Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund, the Ministry of Investment and Development, to reconstruct the railway station of Turkistan, increase its capacity, as well as to provide airport construction and air communication, - the President of Kazakhstan said.

Nursultan Nazarbayev emphasized the importance of establishing a special economic zone in Turkistan, which will create favorable conditions for business, tourism and construction.

- It is necessary to revive Turkistan in accordance with our culture, using modern technologies. In this regard, it is essential to preserve its ancient architecture. I instruct the Government and Akimat of the region to prepare a master plan of the city, taking into account population growth rates," the Head of State said.

Finally, the President of Kazakhstan publicly signed the Turkistan General Development Concept Plan, as well as the Decree on the establishment of the TURKISTAN special economic zone.

ADEX-2018 DEFENSE EXHIBITION WAS HELD IN AZERBAIJAN

The 3rd Azerbaijan International Defense Exhibition ADEX-2018 has started in the Expo Center of Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, on September 25. An exhibition of modern military equipment and weapons lasted until September 27. The exhibition was organized by the Ministry of Defense Industry of the Republic of Azerbaijan and was supported by the Defense Ministry of the country. And the Caspian Event Organizers company became direct organizer of the international exhibition.

The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, who visited the exhibition, saw a number of stands and exhibition grounds and talked with leaders of modern enterprises of military-technical complex.

224 companies from 29 countries and 34 official delegations from 23 countries took part in the exhibition organized for the third time this year. Companies from Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, China, Israel, Iran, Belarus, Serbia, Ukraine, Pakistan and France represented their products as a state-owned group. The Ministry of Defense Industry and its affiliated factories and enterprises participated in the exhibition from Azerbaijani side. Air defense and anti-missile defense systems, military shipbuilding, armaments production and their modernization, military- scientific research, non-pilot aircraft systems, robotics complexes, ammunition, demilitarization systems, rocket and artillery weapons, electronic and laser techniques, armored vehicles, submarines, cyber security of naval forces and exhibits from other areas were presented at the exhibition. The largest manufacturers of military aviation complex, such as MiG, TUSAŞ, Leonardo, OAC, Motor Sich, Russian Helicopters, Aeronautics Group, also took part in the exhibition.

UZBEKISTAN AND INDIA WILL IMPLEMENT INVESTMENT PROJECTS WORTH $3 BILLION

According to the press service of the State Committee for Investments of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan and India will implement 50 investment projects totaling $3 billion.

The parties came to such agreement at the Indian-Uzbek Business Forum in Delhi on September 28. The two countries have established cooperation in such directions as pharmaceutical and healthcare, tourism, including medical tourism, information and communication technologies, agriculture and mineral resources, including production and processing of uranium, non-ferrous and rare metals. In addition, they will cooperate in the sphere of affordable housing and infrastructure.

Besides, at the business forum, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan and the Indian Industrial Confederation agreed on the establishment of Uzbek-Indian Business Council.

Today, Uzbekistan exports to India metal, silk, fertilizers and oilseed oils and beans, while India sells pharmaceuticals, ferrous metals, various equipments and automobile parts to Uzbekistan. At present, there are 145 enterprises with Indian capital in Uzbekistan. 21 of them were created with full Indian capital. Trade turnover between Uzbekistan and India in 2017 amounted to $323.6 million.

TURKMEN PRESIDENT URGED THE WORLD COMMUNITY TO DRAW THE ATTENTION TO ARAL SEA PROBLEM

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who attended the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly in New York, called on the international community to support a special program prepared for the Aral Sea basin. The UN Special Program for Aral Sea, developed by Turkmenistan, is aimed at considering the issue of the sea as a separate focus of the UN's activities. That is why the President of Turkmenistan asked the UN member states to support this program.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, speaking at the General Assembly session, said that preserving the Aral Sea is no longer a regional issue. Therefore, the solution of the Aral crisis requires a comprehensive international approach and regular UN intervention. The President of Turkmenistan said that water is a common good for all people on the planet, and that equal and fair access to clean drinking water is one of the fundamental branches of human rights. It is necessary to work in three directions to solve the water-energy problem in the region. Particularly, these works should be carried out first, within the framework of international law, second, taking into account interests of the regional countries and third, with active participation of the UN and other international organizations. The President of Turkmenistan expressed opinion that these principles should be adhered to in addressing the Aral Sea problem.

PRESIDENT OF TURKEY PAID OFFICIAL VISIT TO GERMANY

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan paid official state visit to Germany at the invitation of German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The official visit of the Turkish President to Berlin is the first official visit since the presidential election in Turkey.

At the Bellevue Palace, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan first met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and then with Chancellor Angela Merkel. During the meeting with Chancellor, the sides agreed to resume the bilateral cooperation mechanisms that have been delayed for some time.

At a press conference after the official talks, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that a large delegation headed by German Economy and Energy Minister Peter Altmayer will arrive in Turkey in October on official visit. In addition, the President of Turkey said that in the short term, Ankara will implement six criteria that have not yet been fulfilled in liberalizing the visa regime with the European Union. "Liberalization of visa regime, modernization of the Customs Union, active negotiations on Turkey's Euro-integration are in the interests of both Ankara and Brussels," the Turkish President said. The Turkish leader said that he was grateful that Germany contributed to settlement of some issues in the integration processes of official Ankara and Europe. Angela Merkel, in her turn, said that they are preparing for a quadripartite summit on Syrian issue, where German Chancellor, Presidents of Turkey, Russia and France will take part.

Merkel also noted that, in addition to the controversial issues between Ankara and Berlin, they also discussed issues relevant to the interests of both countries. The German Chancellor praised Ankara's step in the refugee issue and emphasized that Turkey had sheltered more than three million refugees.