“The reason why we are making this event is because the voice of each influencer gets amplified so much,” said Behruz Khamzaev, Adviser to the Chairman of the State Committee of Uzbekistan. “Everyone who has a gadget can tell the news these days, and it can be positive or negative. But it’s about embracing different cultures with a positive attitude. Those who embrace different cultures will always be ahead.”

The WIC is part of a wide initiative by the State Committee of Uzbekistan for Tourism Development to open up to the world and showcase all the natural, historic and cultural attractions that the country has to offer.

Uzbekistan has put in place a free-visa program for 77 countries, and the number will soon grow to 85. “We’ve received 6.4 million visitors this year. A five-fold increase from 2016,” said Aziz Abdukhaminov, Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan.

As part of the WIC, attendants were able to join the Oriental Express, a 4-day journey that would allow them to discover some of the most beautiful cities along the ancient Silk Route: Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand.

Among the influencers were travel vloggers, photographers, Youtubers, beauty bloggers, some of whom have hundreds of thousands, even millions of followers.

“Together you have over 115 million followers, and your content is being viewed over 10 billion times. By being here, in front of you, I feel like I’m talking to the whole world,” said Mr. Abdukhaminov on opening day. “The World Influencers Congress has been made possible thanks to our President, Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who has embraced the policies of openness and friendship, freedom and creativity.”

On the day of the congress, one of the topics discussed during one of the panels discussions was: How to use one’s social media platform to do good and bring about change in society.

Makeup artist, Sadaf, whose Instagram accounts alone have more than 3 million followers, talked about the importance of empowering women through her social media platform. “Even though I love makeup — ever since I was a kid I was fascinated by it — sometimes I post pictures where I’m not wearing any makeup because I want women to feel happy in their own skin. That’s a very important message for me to convey,” she said.

Given the attention the WIC has generated, five countries have already shown interest in potentially hosting a next edition in the coming years.

“Every day millions of people discover new destinations, new products through social media,” said Saida Mirziyoyeva, Deputy Director of the Agency of Information and Mass Communication of Uzbekistan. “But there’s also social responsibility. And we want to stress that as well.”

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From February 1, 2019, the following countries will be able to enter Uzbekistan visa free for up to 30 days: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Cyprus, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vatican City. Nationals of France, Israel, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Turkey were granted visa free access in 2018. Germans will have visa free access from 15 January, 2019.

This decision follows  the implementation of an e-visa scheme last July 2018.

More and more Belgians visit Uzbekistan thanks to the e-visa introduction

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« This year we have raised the number of visa free countries to 17, set eased visa procedures for 51 countries, visa-free transit for the citizens of 101 countries and created an online e-visa system, where it takes about 3 minutes to fill out the forms and get a visa within 48 hours, delivered straight to your personal email » explained Dilyor Khakimov, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to the Kingdom of Belgium.

According to the Uzbekistan Consulate in Brussels, thanks to the e-visas more and more Belgians are visiting the country of Amir Temur. In this framework, Aziz Abdukhakimov, Deputy Prime Minister, visited Belgium in order to attract more tourism operators and hotels to invest in the country. « For the businesses in the tourism industry, we have created important benefits and privileges, including a reduction from many taxes for foreign direct investments, release of custom duties for the equipment and machinery, exclusive tax regimes for foreign specialists and many more » stressed Abdukhakimov.

How does it work?

An electronic visa is issued for a period of stay in the territory of Uzbekistan for up to 30 days with a single entry and is valid for 90 days from the date of issue.

Foreigners must send an application for a visa at least three working days before the planned date of travel to Uzbekistan. Authorized bodies of Uzbekistan will consider the appeal within two working days without taking into account the day of submission of the appeal.

Foreign citizens must pay a consular fee for processing and issuing an electronic entry visa in the amount of 20€. The consular fee is paid electronically through international payment systems.

Good to know:

• In order to apply you should visit this website
• For more information: Consulate of Uzbekistan in Brussels: Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 99, 1000 Brussels

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The adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan on December 8, 1992 was an important historical milestone for the country’s independent development. « Throughout all these years, the Constitution has serves as a solid foundation for establishing a democratic state with a strong civil society, the building economy based on free market principles and rule of law, ensuring a peaceful and prosperous life for people, and strengthening the role of Uzbekistan as a responsible partner in the world community » stressed Ambassador Dilyor Khakimov.

« The Republic of Uzbekistan is on an important stage of radical and dynamic transformations. Our goal is strengthening and further developing a democratic law-governed state with an open and socially-oriented market economy and vibrant civil society, in which the main value are rights, freedom and legal interests of individual » he concluded.

Uzbekistan is an independent nation since 1991, following the colapse of the Soviet Union. Former President, Islam Karimov declared Uzbekistan independent from the USSR on August 31, 1991.

The post Celebration of Uzbekistan’s Constitution in Brussels appeared first on Brussels Express.

« We organised this 2 days event in order to expand international cooperation in the tourism development, attract direct investment and promote the country’s tourism opportunities among potential investors and guests of Uzbekistan » explained enthusiastically Akkulov.

During two days, business representatives from 48 countries and 30 international media had the chance to discover over 500 investment projects from the 12 Uzbek regions.

« In Samarkand we have currently 36 projects in the field of tourism. Hotels, sports and health centers, theme park, eco park, polo clubs. You name it and we have it«  said Dilshod Narzikulov, First Deputy Director from the Samarkand Region.

Samarkand is currently the second most visited city in Uzbekistan. The first one remains Tashkent. In 2017, the country welcomed 2.69 million tourists.  In the first 9 months of 2018, the number of foreign visitors amounted to 4.4 million people compared to 2.2 million in the same period of 2017. The goal remains to pass the 5 million figure. The ambition of the country goes way beyond. Uzbekistan plans to bring the number of foreign tourists visiting the country to 9.09 million by 2026, according to a presidential decree.

In the last year, the country took many steps to in order to make it easier for visitors to come. The most emblematic example is the introduction of electronic visas last July 15, 2018. This measure became a significant impetus for the development of inbound tourism in Uzbekistan. In just 4 months of operation, about 195 000  electronic visas were issued to citizens of 49 countries.

Another interesting measure is the Silk Roads Visa. « This is an analogue of the Schengen visa, only between the countries of Central Asia » stressed Akkulov. This measure will allow to target a specific audience willing to discover the Silk Roads cities – such as Samarkand, Khiva and Bukhara. There is also room for those who seek to experience a night in the Uzbek desert, like the nomads did in the glorious period of the silk roads. That is what Dilbar Karimberdiyeva, owner of the Ayaz-Kala yurtcamp, is trying, with success, to recreate.

2018 will remain as important year in the Uzbek collective memory. This is the year where they became the main touristic player in Central Asia.

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One of the pillars of President Mirziyoyev’s new policy line is to attract more Western tourists. More than 2,5 million tourists from the neighbouring countries, Russia, India, China and Korea visited the country last year, but less than a thousand Belgians went to Uzbekistan in 2017. However, this flow should rapidly increase, as the country possesses considerable assets, in particular, the historic cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva (less known than the other two), which are truly magnificent.

Monuments of these three cities come from the time of the Khanates, powerful kingdoms located on the Silk Road, to which they owed their prosperity. These Khanates were at the heart of the “Great game”, this cold war between the British and Russian empires throughout the 19th century. The British feared that Russian troops could take over India (the gem of the British Empire) through the Khanates and Afghanistan. On the other hand, Russia was carrying on its inexorable expansion towards the East and the warmest seas of the South. In the end, Russia took over the Khanates, letting their emirs in power to govern puppet States. After the revolution, the Soviets formally annexed them to the USSR.

From this past, several World Heritage monuments remain, which are among the most beautiful of the Muslim heritage. Khiva, the least known city, is a real City-museum, almost entirely preserved with undamaged fortifications. Only a few hundred inhabitants are still living inside the city walls and, during the evening, you may feel like you’re walking through a 16th-century city. Magical!

Bukhara has numerous mosque and madrasas (Koranic schools), now transformed in museums. The Poi Kalan complex, consisting in the Mir-i-Arab madrasa, a beautiful mosque and the Kalan minaret, is quite simply exceptional. The main access door and the walls of the Ark Citadel, which was the residence of the emir, is outstanding.

Finally, in Samarkand, the extraordinary Registan Square, at the heart of the ancient city, is one the most beautiful in the world. It has gained its worldwide fame thanks to three spectacular madrasas, which changes colours as the day passes. Thanks to these impeccably preserved buildings, Samarkand was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001. We must also note the presence of the Ulugh Beg’s madrasa, built in honour of the surprising 15th-century monarch and great astronomer who created one of the finest observatories in the Islamic world in the city. Ulugh Beg tried to develop a critical thought among Islam before he was assassinated by his own son for heresy.

Tourists can also visit the gravestone of Tamerlane (or Timur), who had made Samarkand his capital. Being a recent state created from the USSR’s dislocation, Uzbekistan has recreated a symbolic past around the figure of Timur, the last of the great nomadic conquerors of the Eurasian Steppe whose vast empire comprised modern-day Iran, the Caucasus, Iraq, Afghanistan, much of Central Asia, as well as parts of contemporary India, Pakistan, Syria and Turkey. In Tashkent, two museums testify of this glorious past.

These three wonders are easily accessible. There are direct flights from Paris and Milan to Khiva, and a rapid train connects Tashkent to Samarkand in two hours, and to Bukhara in four. Soon, Khiva will also be accessible by train.

Uzbekistan is a fully secular country with a muslim majority and religious tolerance prevails. Vodka is traditional and tourists can dress as they wish. It should be added that the Uzbek gastronomy is delicious and varies by region, with lots of organic vegetables and fruits. Uzbekistan probably has the best melon in the world, and Khiva even holds a melon festival every year! 

I urge readers to visit Uzbekistan before this country becomes a major tourist destination, which is inevitable given the beauty of its historical heritage.

The post Uzbekistan: a little-known gem of the Silk Road appeared first on Brussels Express.

Could you tell us about your impressions on Belgian people, the highlights of your first year in office?

It’s slightly over one year since I came to Belgium. As an Ambassador, it has been one of the best experiences in my professional career in terms of representing my country in such a vivid, friendly and dynamic environment. And I don’t mean only the official institutions but also the Belgian people. They are very warm, friendly, open, multicultural, and I could go on about the qualities I have observed so far. It has been very enjoyable to live and work in Brussels.

Over the past year we have seen a number of important events, starting last year with the visit of our Foreign Affairs Minister for the Cooperation Council Meeting, a meeting with the High Representatives of the European Union. A meeting was also held with the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Didier Reynders.

That also includes a number of visits by other delegations. On a reciprocity basis we have seen travel to Uzbekistan over the last year by High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs, Ms. Federica Mogherini, in November of last year to Samarkand, and in March of 2018 to Tashkent. Her first visit was for the International Conference on the Future Development of Central Asia; the second one was on Afghanistan.

Beyond we also helped to ministerial meetings between the European Union and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Central Asia during those visits.

Recently we organized the visits of different Uzbek delegations to Belgium this summer. That includes bilateral political consultations between Belgium and Uzbekistan in early June. And the delegation was led by the then deputy of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Azduvakhitov.

Uzbekistan supports Belgium to the UN Security Council for 2019-2020

We had the visits of other dignitaries including, in July, the Minister of Foreign Trade, Jamshid Khodjaev, who came here with a big delegation of Uzbek officials to hold operation committee meetings with European Union officials.

Also the Chairman of State Customs Committee, Mr. Azimov. He came to participate in one of the World Trade Customs Organization meetings. The goal of the meeting was to choose a new General Secretary of the World Trade Customs Organization.

And there was also the delegation visit of the Chairperson of the Uzbekistan Silk Producers.

Recently two Uzbek Governors came to Brussels. Could you elaborate a little on those visits?

We received the Governors of the Djizzakh region, and the Governor of Bukhara region. These visits were very rich in terms of bilateral contacts between Uzbekistan and Belgium, and Uzbekistan and the European Union.

For the last two years, Uzbekistan could be characterized as a country of sweeping reforms. Our President, his Excellency Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, initiated large-scale and nation-wide reforms programs. The core of those reforms is to give priority to the interests of Uzbek people, and economy and development.

Our government is promoting open, transparent and competitive economic reforms in terms of seeking foreign investment, technology, transfer of knowledge from our leading partners, namely the European Union.

One of the implementations of this open policy is to foster our foreign relations, meaning our Governors traveling abroad to develop business opportunities in their own regions, promote investment opportunities.

How does Uzbekistan promote tourism abroad?

You know that Uzbekistan is a land of ancient culture and ancient traditions. The Silk Road is well known in the tourist industry, and in Uzbekistan, one can visit historical Silk Road sites such as Bukhara, Samarkand, Khiva, which are some of the best known. Some less known are located in the Ferghana Valley, a region where all these silk trading routes used to run through.

Tourism is part of our economic development agenda in Uzbekistan. We want to bring our historical heritage to the world and make it a viable economic industry. There would be job generation, of course, but it also opens the country to interaction with the world at large.

From 15th of July, Uzbekistan introduced a system of registering and issuing electronic entry visas via E-VISA.UZ, and this measure includes Belgium.

Uzbekistan introduced a visa-free entry, temporary stay and departure from Uzbekistan through checkpoints of citizens of 101 states that transit through Uzbekistan at international airports for a period of not more than five days. In this case, passengers must have an air ticket to a third country. The carrier must provide the Border Guard units of the State Security Service of Uzbekistan with timely information on passengers.

Uzbekistan introduces electronic visas from 15 July including Belgium

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Sericulture has been carried on in Uzbekistan since ancient times. There is information on the existence of sericulture and silk-weaving on the territory of this Republic 3000 years ago in the Fergana valley, on sources of the Zarafshan river, and also in the south.

For 1500 years the Great Silk Road existed from western China to Europe, going through the countries of all Asia and including the territory of modern Uzbekistan, especially ancient cities like Samarkand and Bukhara. In Central Asia, especially on the line of the Great Silk Road – Samarkand, Shahrisabz, Bukhara and Fergana valley there was widely advanced sericulture, silk-reeling and silk-weaving with the application of gold embroidery elements.

Today, Uzbekistan is the third largest manufacturer of silk in the world after China and India and remains the first manufacturer in the world considering per capita production of silk.

Sericulture is an important industry in Uzbekistan because this is a labor-intensive industry operating in all regions of Uzbekistan and it is generous enough providing job opportunities and livelihood for more than half a million people (about 1,5 % of total population of the country), particularly in rural areas.        

To improve the situation and to use the existing high potential of silk sector in Uzbekistan for income generation, jobs creation and boosting exports, in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated on March 29, 2017, the Silk Industry Association of “Uzbekipaksanoat” was established. 

By this Decree, tax benefits and other privileges are granted to enterprises and organizations engaged in cocoons growing and silk producing in Uzbekistan until 2023. For instance, home-based workers who are engaged in the production of live cocoons are exempted from income taxes as well.

Bakhrom Sharipov, Chairman of the Association of Uzbekipaksanot was in Belgium in order to attract Belgian investors and brand Uzbekistan as the place to invest in this sector. Uzbekipaksanoat is currently establishing mutually beneficial cooperation with international organizations like FAO, UNIDO, OFID and leading European silk companies.

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President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a resolution “On further measures to optimize the order of entry of foreign citizens into the Republic of Uzbekistan” on 4 July.

The head of Uzbekistan abolished compulsory address of foreign citizens to diplomatic missions and consular offices of Uzbekistan abroad.

Starting from 15 July, Uzbekistan introduces an order of visa-free entry, temporary stay and departure from Uzbekistan through checkpoints of citizens of 101 states that transit through Uzbekistan at international airports for a period of not more than five days.

In this case, passengers must have an air ticket to a third country. The carrier must provide the Border Guard units of the State Security Service of Uzbekistan with timely information on passengers.

Visa-free entry, temporary stay and departure from Uzbekistan are introduced for foreign citizens who have not reached the age of 16, if they have a foreign passport or a biometric travel document accompanied by their legal representatives, for the period of validity of the entry visa in the passport of the accompanying person, but not more than 90 days from the date of entry into Uzbekistan.

When foreign citizens reach the age of 16 during their stay on the territory of Uzbekistan, an exit visa is issued by the migration units and registration of citizenship of the internal affairs bodies in accordance with the established procedure.

An electronic visa is issued for a period of stay in the territory of Uzbekistan for up to 30 days with a single entry and is valid for 90 days from the date of issue.

Foreigners must send an application for a visa at least three working days before the planned date of travel to Uzbekistan. Authorized bodies of Uzbekistan will consider the appeal within two working days without taking into account the day of submission of the appeal.

Foreign citizens must pay a consular fee for processing and issuing an electronic entry visa in the amount of 20€. The consular fee is paid electronically through international payment systems.

Good to know:

Consulate of Uzbekistan in Brussels:
Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 99, 1000 Brussels

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The Fergana Valley is a geological depression that extends for more than 300 km in length and 70 km in width, and is lodged between the Tian Shan Mountains to the north, and the Gissar-Alai range to the south. Irrigated by tributaries of the Syr Darya river, the region is one of the most fertile parts of the country. The richness of the soil attracted agricultural interest and over the centuries several settlements began to sprawl in the valley. These towns and villages gave rise to Silk Road trading posts, fortifications, and to the 19th-century Khanate of Kokand, close to the present day Tajikistan.

About 430 km east of Tashkent, in the northern end of the Fegana valley, lies the city of Namangan. Less than 30 km away from the border with Kyrgyzstan, it is the third largest city in the country after Tashkent and Samarkand. A 55-minute flight from Tashkent, Namangan’s airport is located 12 km west of the city. There are no direct buses from Tashkent, but Andijan (1hr) and Fergana (2hrs) have regular departures. Namangan’s urban area developed just north of the confluence of the Karya Darya and Naryn rivers, both tributaries of the Syr Darya, also known as Jaxartes, a watercourse that meanders for several hundreds of kilometers before reaching the Aral Sea in western Uzbekistan. In the outskirts of the city, a line of lush hills colors the horizon, where fruits and vegetables are grown with water from the North Fergana Canal. After the arrival of the Russians in the late nineteenth century, cotton growing and processing has remained a key industry.

The city offers a wide variety of attractions, including the Babur Park located in the center of town, where one can go for a stroll and take a short respite from the bustle of the streets. It is a haven of peace and quiet for many. Old sycamore trees extend their branches to offer the gift of a cool, pleasant shade to more than one passerby. Men drinking tea, hunched over their chess boards can be seen along the edges of the park, others playing nards, a Persian board game that resembles backgammon. Named after the descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan, the park was founded in 1884 as the garden of the Russian gover- nor. Zahir-ud-din Muhammad (1483-1530), also known as Babur, was born in the adjacent province of Andijan. In 1504, not much older than twenty, he captured the city of Kabul for the first time, then in 1510 again. On the plains of the Punjab, in 1526, the Indian armies were defeated at the battle of Panipat and Babur marched triumphantly over Delhi.

For those wanting to visit a museum in the area, not far from Babur’s Park, at 25 ex-October Street, the Namangan Natural History Museum holds a collection of archaeological artifacts from the region. If one continues east, the pedestrian avenue Uychi leads to the beating heart of this area: the bazaar. Behind mountains of fruits and vegetables, smiling sellers offer the best of their produce. Over extended pieces of cloth, craftsmen display wooden cradles painted in bright colors, white-haired women knit long tablecloths in their lap, they sell embroidered skullcaps and woolen shawls.

The city of Namangan is home to a large set of remarkable reli- gious constructions and schools. The Mullah Kyrgyz Madrassa was built in 1910, and named after the architect who designed it, Usto Kyrgyz. The religious school remained closed during the Soviet era and is now a museum-monument, housing the Soviet literary museum. The ceilings and columns display fine carved woodwork, and the portal is decorated with colored mosaics with motifs of flowers in green, yellow and white. Not far from there, stand the Khodjamni Kabri Mausoleum and Khodja Amin Mosque, both works by the 18th century architect Usto Muhammad Ibrahim. The terracotta tilework on the front portico is unusual and intricate, the tiles being produced in an old-fashioned style resembling the methods used in the 12th century. Further east one can find the Ota Valikhon Tur Mosque, which was built in 1915, decorated with blue mosaics and star-like shapes that contrast with the Arabic calligraphy decorating some of the walls.

About 20 km southwest of the city lie the ruins of Aksikent, a fortified town at the confluence of the Syr Darya and Kasansai rivers. Known as Akhsi, the hamlet had been established by the 3rd century BC. It functioned as a caravan stop for travelers going from Kashgar to Byzantium. The strong but flexible steel produced in the smelting furnaces of Aksikent was famous as far away as Damascus. By the early middle ages, the town had flourished to such an extent that an 18km-long wall was built around the main citadel. Very little remains of this once important traveling post, but from the top of a mound located in the middle of the current site, one can get a view of what was once the center of the fort. In the Baburnama, Emperor Babur’s memoirs, he described how the suburbs of Aksikent could be seen as far as 3 km into the distance.

For many travelers, the jewel in the region is the city of Chust. At about 30 km west of Namangan, Chust is the cradle of some of the finest works of craftsmanship in the country: the Uzbek national knives and the embroidered skullcaps. In the National Knife Factory, located at 46 Chusti, one can see the blacksmiths at work, hammering and grinding knives of different lengths, made either of steel or iron. As the tradition dictates it, the tip of each knife must curl in a particular way at a certain angle, a secret only these craftsmen are privy to

The haft or knife handle is carved with intricate, beautiful patterns that only come out after several hours of precise work by an experienced master carver. Some have incrustations of mother-of-pearl arranged in flower-like shapes; others are carved from animal horn. The tubeteika is a black tetrahedral skullcap typical of the Fergana Valley, with Chust being one of its main production centers. Unlike the knives, the production of tubeteika is the activity where women display their creativity, and the skills that have been passed down generation after generation. Each skullcap has a black base which is then embroidered in white. The four arches are meant to symbolize the unassailable gates that will dissuade the enemies from any incursion; the peppers are protection against evil eye; and the almonds are the gift of life and fertility. Like Namangan, the city houses several cotton mills and the industry is an important pillar of the city’s economy. Another garment which is part of the national attire, is also produced in the Namangan region and is made of beqasam. A silk fabric with stripes in different bright colors, it can be seen in many Uzbek festivals and national celebrations.

For those wanting to get away from the city, the town of Chortoq offers a bath in the calming mineral waters of its many resorts. Located only 23 km northeast of Namangan, Chortoq can be the ideal destination to end the tour of the region.

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