ウズベク副首相、日本の民間投資に期待　大統領初来日を機に

　【タシケント時事】ウズベキスタンのミルジヨエフ大統領が来月、２０１６年の就任後初めて日本を訪問する。それに先立ち、アブドゥハキモフ副首相が２５日、タシケント市内で一部記者団の取材に応じ、「（訪問を通じて）日本との協力をより発展させたい。民間投資にも期待している」と表明した。
　日本への留学経験があるアブドゥハキモフ氏は、終始流ちょうな日本語で応対した。同氏は「首脳レベルの訪問は政治、経済、文化交流などに影響を与える」と指摘。「ロシアは政治面で、中国は経済面で（ウズベキスタンへの）影響を強めたい（と思っている）。日本は民間投資がないと影響を強めることができない」と述べ、中央アジアを重視するよう訴えた。（2019/11/26-14:19）

The upcoming visit to Japan by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will hopefully help increase Japanese private-sector investment in the Central Asian country, Aziz Abdukhakimov, deputy prime minister of Uzbekistan, has said.
   Uzbekistan also wants to further advance cooperation with Japan through Mirziyoyev's first Japan visit since taking office in 2016, Abdukhakimov told reporters in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent on Monday. Abdukhakimov, who has experience of studying in Japan, is fluent in Japanese.
   A visit by a nation's leader to another country would affect political, economic and cultural exchanges between the states, he said. While Russia and China are aiming to boost their influences on Uzbekistan in the political and economic fields, respectively, Japan would be unable to boost its presence in the country without an increase in private-sector investment, he said.
   By January 2020, Uzbekistan will ease visa requirements for 86 nations, Abdukhakimov said. In February last year, Uzbekistan scrapped visas for Japanese nationals visiting the country for a stay of up to 30 days.
   The number of foreign tourists to Uzbekistan is projected to reach 6.4 million this year, up sharply from 1.3 million in 2016, Abdukhakimov said, showing his resolve to boost the figure to 10 million by 2023.