Uznews, Tashkent, 24 Mar 2009 – The Uzbek media are continuing to praise President Islam Karimov’s wise policy that has protected the country from the global economic crisis and his new book on the crisis. Reports claim that Uzbekistan is not susceptible to the crisis and if they discuss it then only in regard to other countries.
Karimov’s book entitled “The global financial-economic crisis, ways and measures to overcome it in the conditions of Uzbekistan” has caused a favourable reaction from foreign political, economic, business and public circles, as well as the media, Uzbek press says.
The Foreign Ministry’s Jahon news agency has carried an article by Prof of the State University of New York, Parviz Morewedge, who tried to explain as why the crisis would not affect Uzbekistan.
Prof Morewedge said that grain independence and energy independence the country obtained in 1995 and 1997 respectively had contributed to macroeconomic and socio-political stability in the country.
We doubt that the professor from New York knows that after obtaining grain independence Uzbekistan’s food shops have still been full of Kazakh flour and that in 2008 Uzbekistan was the world’s second largest flour importer after Brazil, according to the International Grains Council. The country was No 1 in 2007.
Moreover, after energy independence Uzbekistan started increasingly often facing power cuts and gas shortages, heating their homes with coal, wood and dried dung.
Morewedge also praised Uzbekistan for ensuring human rights, strengthening national accord and religious tolerance, observing the law and creating high living standards for its citizens. Uzbekistan also has working social, healthcare, education and academic systems, the professor said.
Did Morewedge learn about high human development from the pro-government Ijtimoiy Fikr polling company? What about the observance of human rights: was it Ombudswoman Sayora Rashidova who protects them day and night informing him on this?
It must have been the prosecutor-general and interior minister who told the professor about the observance of the law. Did he learn about high living standards in the country from the president’s daughters Gulnara and Lola?
Prof Morewedge thinks the USA should develop constructive cooperation with Uzbekistan. We can only hope that US President Barack Obama will listen to his fellow countryman and start studying Islam Karimov’s books. There is still time for that.
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