President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov expressed deep condolences to the family and close ones of the President of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov, who passed away on 21 December.

The day of 30 December, the first day of the Kurban Hayit, will be celebrated as a national holiday and will be a day-off in Uzbekistan.

Uzbek embassy in London hosted a ceremony on handing over to British Library of seven volumes of Koran, published in Braille alphabet in Uzbekistan.

The Senate [upper house] of Oliy Majlis [parliament] of Uzbekistan has hosted a round table organized by the Committee for legislation and judicial-legal issues. It was devoted to discussion of the transfer to courts of the right to issue sanction to confine: international experience and national legislation.

Committee for Defence and Security Issues of the Legislative Chamber [lower house] of Oliy Majlis [parliament] of the Republic of Uzbekistan has held a session devoted to the course of implementation in Syrdarya region of the Law \"On civil protection\".

A sociological survey conducted by Uzbekistan\'s Social Opinion Center indicates that people in Uzbekistan are opposed to religious extremism and are satisfied with the way the rights of believers in their country are guaranteed.

The first group of Muslims of Uzbekistan left on 14 December for Medina (Saudi Arabia) to make pilgrimage ? hajj (a ceremony of pilgrimage) by special flights of Uzbekiston Havo Yollari (Uzbekistan Airways), the Board of Muslims of Uzbekistan said.

President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov signed Law \"On establishment of Day of Workers of Interior Ministry of Uzbekistan\" on 6 December.

Five-day regional seminar for workers of inter-departmental sub-units on fight against drugs at international airports of Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will start in Tashkent on 11 December.

Secretary General of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Khurshid Anwar is paying visit to Uzbekistan.

Meeting, dedicated to 14th anniversary of Constitution of Uzbekistan, was held in Turkistan Palace. Representatives of science, culture and art, public members, as well as representatives of foreign embassies and organizations participated in the meeting.

Uzbekistan Senate?s Committee for Budget and Economic Reforms held a session on 24 November to discuss the main macroeconomic indicators and parameters of the state budget for 2007, the Senate press service said.

Later last week the Authorized of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Human Rights (Ombudsman) Sayyora Rashidova received the UNICEF expert at the Innocenti Research Center Tronda Vaaj.

The World Bank will give US$26.9 million to Central Asian countries to implement Central Asian AIDS project till 2010.

In a period of 13-16 of November a delegation from Russian Federation will stay in Uzbekistan. This delegation together with the Fund on regional politics of Uzbekistan will carry out an international roundtable on the \"Condition and prospects of the development of the democratic institutions and processes: experience of Uzbekistan and Russia \" in Samarkand.

A briefing for the Egyptian mass media representatives took place at the embassy of Uzbekistan in Egypt. It was devoted to the signing of the Agreement on nuclear free zone in Central Asia, Jahon reports.

Samarkand International Museum of Peace and Solidarity received recognition of Canadian government.

Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan and the China Development Bank signed a cooperation agreement on 14 November 2006.

Afghanistan has shown interest in cooperation with Uzbekistan in power industry.