President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov congratulated people of Uzbekistan with the new year 2008.

Summing up the results of the past year, which was proclaimed the Year of Social Protection, the head of the state said it was “successful in many aspects and left an indelible trace in the life of the country and the society”.

According to preliminary results of the elections of the President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov received 88.1% of the votes.

General Motors, the world's largest carmaker, has announced a joint venture with UzAvtoSanoat to assemble and distribute Chevrolet cars in Uzbekistan, the central Asian republic and part of GM Europe region. A press conference on this occasion was held at InterContinental hotel in Tashkent on 8 October.

The joint venture, which will be called GM Uzbekistan, will extend Chevrolet's rapid expansion in Eastern Europe and Asia.

"Chevrolet has become the fastest growing brand in Europe, demonstrating its strong appeal especially in the opportunity markets of Eastern Europe", said Carl-Peter Forster, President of General Motors Europe. "The start of operations in Uzbekistan and the launch of a series of new Chevrolet models will help us continue our rapid growth."

On 17 August, on the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia, the country's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Uzbekistan Mr. Sjahril Sabaruddin spoke to UzReport.com about the roots and history of friendly Indonesian-Uzbek relations, and the achievements of his country.

A training meeting of the disaster relief teams of Karakalpakstan, Tashkent city, Khorezm, Bukhara, Jizzakh, Surkhandarya, Samarkand, Andijan, Tashkent, Ferghana, and Namangan regions of the Red Crescent Society of Uzbekistan is being held in the village of Yangiobod on 20-25 August.

The event is financially supported by the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO).

The volunteers of the Society, members of the teams totaling 77 people who have passed the first aid and reaction programme at the Society's study centres are participating in the training.

On the instruction of the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the Turkmen government delegation led by Vice Premier, Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov will visit Tashkent on 29 August.

For the six months of the current year we have produced goods totaling to an amount of 4 billion 544 million 948 thousand soum, and the plan had been over accomplished, - says Kh.Gafforov, deputy chairperson of the open stock company "Khonkadon mahsulotlari".

Uzbekistan had a budget surplus of 201.5 billion soums, or 1.9% of GDP, in the first half of 2007, a source on the country's parliamentary Budget and Economic Reform Committee said.

Parliamentary delegation of Israel headed by Knesset Vice-Speaker Amnon Cohen is on a visit in Uzbekistan. On 20 August, the delegation held talks with the Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of Uzbekistan’s Oliy Majlis Erkin Khalilov.

The sides considered the current state and perspectives of inter-parliamentary cooperation between Uzbekistan and Israel.

A classic credit rating is the result of a large-scale labourious research reflected in a single final indicator, which portrays the company's overall reliability. This and other related issues were discussed at a roundtable meeting held by the representatives of the financial sector of Uzbekistan on 17 August at the Ministry of Finance of Uzbekistan.

The meeting titled "Rating as a powerful tool for attracting investors" was organised by the Ministry of Finance, the Association of Professional Participants of the Insurance Market of Uzbekistan, the Centre for Coordination and Control over the Functioning of the Securities Market, the Association of Leasing Companies and Credit Unions, Expert RA Rating Agency (Russia) and SAIPRO Company (Uzbekistan).