December 1999

GEORGIA, MOLDOVA, ARMENIA TO JOIN WTO SOON

Photo by Iris Harris, DOC.

BISNIS WELCOMES RUSSIAN WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

BISNIS trade specialists and a SABIT representative hosted seven Russian

women business leaders at

the USA Trade Center in the

Ronald Reagan Building on

October 20. The visitors

were in Washington for the

Business Women’s Network

(BWN) Global Business

Summit, which provided

an opportunity to network,

share information, and increase knowledge of how

business is conducted

around the world. SABIT

and BISNIS briefed the

(continued on p. 4)

The Republic of Georgia will soon be a full member

of the World Trade Organization (WTO). At the regular

WTO session in Geneva on October 6, the General Council approved the accession package for Georgia. To officially become a WTO member, the Georgian Parliament

must ratify the accession agreement. Georgia will become

a member 30 days after ratification. It is unlikely that Georgia will be a member state in time to join the WTO ministerial meeting in Seattle, November 30 to December 3.

Inclusion in the WTO will mean that Georgia will be

bound by international rules governing trade between nations. It will have to lower import tariffs and reduce barriers to free trade. However, Georgia will join as a transition

economy, giving it certain concessions in the first years of

membership. According to State Department spokesman

James Rubin, joining “will be an important milestone in

Georgia’s integration into the global economic community and is a sign of its leadership on market reform.”

Georgia is the second NIS country to complete accession negotiations. Kyrgyzstan became a member of

the WTO in October 1998. In addition, Moldova and

Armenia have nearly completed negotiations. Approval

of their accession remains a possibility by the Seattle

Ministerial. Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan,

Uzbekistan, and Ukraine are currently engaged in accession negotiations. The United States is fully engaged

in negotiations with Russia, but much work remains to

be done before its WTO accession is completed.

by Joan Morgan

Published by the Business Information Service for the Newly Independent States (BISNIS)

U.S. Department of Commerce • International Trade Administration

BISNIS

BULLETIN
BISNIS BULLETIN - December 1999

2

BISNIS is an information center for U.S. companies doing business in the Newly Independent

States of the former Soviet Union. Operated by the Market Access and Compliance unit of

the International Trade Administration, BISNIS disseminates information in print form, electronically, and through consultations by its staff of trade specialists. For more information,

please contact:

202-482-4655 (phone)

202-482-2293 (fax)

bisnis@ita.doc.gov (email)

To call BISNIS toll free, dial

1-800-USA-TRADE (872-8723)

press 3 and then press 2

or visit the BISNIS Online website at

www.bisnis.doc.gov

BISNIS

The Business Information Service for the Newly Independent States

In This Issue

Georgia, Moldova, Armenia to Join

the WTO Soon

Russian Businesswomen at BISNIS

Moldova Investment Conference

Winning Contracts for ADB

Projects in Central Asia

Kazakh Dual Language Label Law

Tricks of the Trade: Navigating NIS

Tender Announcements

Regional Corner: Chui Oblast,

Kyrgyzstan

Trade Events Calendar

Articles by non-U.S. Government employees express the views of the authors and

should not be construed as a statement of U.S. Government policy.

Director

Anne Grey

Deputy Director

Trevor Gunn

Managing Editor

 Ellen S. House

Assistant Editors

Juliana Kinal, Kelly Raftery

Contributors

Ellen House, Joan Morgan, Irina

Mukambaeva, Derek Nowek, Kelly Raftery,

Judith Robinson, Tanya Shuster

Moldova Investment Conference Accents Opportunities

On October 8–9, 1999, Moldova’s National Agency

for Attracting Investment, in cooperation with the UN

Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), sponsored “Moldova: Your Partner in Europe,” an international

investment conference in Chisinau. The event provided

an occasion to present up-to-date information on investment opportunities in Moldova and to promote scores of

projects offered for investment auctions.

Moldovan President Petru Lucinschi welcomed forum participants, including representatives of over 50

companies from Europe, Asia, and North America and

Moldova’s leading enterprises. He stated that Moldova

strongly welcomes the participation of foreign investors

and multilateral development banks in the modernization of the country’s key economic sectors—agriculture,

telecommunications, energy, wine, tobacco, construction,

and transportation.

by Derek Nowek

U.S. companies can take advantage of Moldova’s

privatization activities either by submitting bids for tenders offered by the Department of Privatization or by

working with individual enterprises. U.S companies can

wholly own and manage companies in Moldova, as well

as freely repatriate profits and capital. The country’s legal framework offers a number of guarantees and tax

incentives to foreign investors.

At the time of this writing, the Moldovan parliament

voted to dismiss the government of Prime Minister

Sturza over his proposal to implement a package of key

economic laws, including privatization of the country’s

largest tobacco and wine sector enterprises.

A partial list of Moldova enterprises up for privatization

during 1999–2001 is available at www.privatization.md.

Derek Nowek covers Moldova for BISNIS in Washington.

NEWS FROM

GOSSTANDART

The Russian State Committee for

Standardization and Metrology

(Gosstandart) has started operating an

English language section on its

website. Virtually every U.S. and foreign company sending goods and

equipment into Russia must obtain a

quality or safety certificate issued by

Gosstandart. This certificate is issued

after satisfactory testing and inspection to ensure that incoming goods

conform to Russia’s unique standards

regime, called GOST. Gosstandart’s

website (www.gost.ru) provides useful

information on its role, certification,

and certification agencies (in Russian).

Recently, the Catalogue of Russian

Standards indexed on this website has

been updated to provide for purchase

of the GOST standards in English. The

section can be accessed at

www.interstandard.gost.ru.

For more information on certification

and inspection of goods for sale in Russia, visit BISNIS Online at www.bisnis.

doc.gov/bisnis/isa/isa-cert.htm.
BISNIS BULLETIN - December 1999

3

WINNING ADB CONTRACTS IN CENTRAL ASIA

by Ellen S. House

U.S. companies are currently not taking full advantage

of opportunities to win procurement and consulting contracts

in Central Asia from the Manila-based Asian Development

Bank (ADB). ADB projects will be the source of over $1 billion in loans and some $38 million in technical assistance to

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan during

1999-2001. In addition, the bank is currently processing applications for membership from Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.

ADB projects are fully financed and bid according to international competitive bidding guidelines, and are a promising potential source of new business for U.S. consulting and

equipment firms. U.S. companies that plan ahead and are

well informed about how to negotiate the process for winning

ADB contracts will increase their chances of success. At a

June presentation at the USA Trade Center by Denny Barnes,

U.S. Commercial Liaison to the ADB, U.S. business representatives were enthusiastic about these opportunities. Although Europeans have dominated this market since the creation of the Central Asian republics in 1991, U.S. companies

are now well positioned to capture a bigger market share.

The ADB in Central Asia

ADB projects in Central Asia focus on agriculture, transportation infrastructure, social sector development, water supply and sanitation, and education, health, and the environment. Technical assistance is provided to governments for

feasibility studies, capacity building, financial sector and economic policy development, and government reorganization.

Moreover, ADB is now prepared to provide up to 25 percent

of the financing for private projects in Central Asia that meet

the developmental needs of the member country. The amount

and character of assistance to Central Asia varies by country.

Kazakhstan: Since 1994, Kazakhstan has received 10 loans

totaling $415 million from the ADB. In addition, ADB provided almost $15 million in grants for 28 technical assistance projects for capacity building, institutional strengthening, and preparing loan operations. No loans were approved

in 1998 because the government delayed formulating its public investment program and borrowing strategy, but technical

assistance grant projects continued. Agriculture is a strong

focus for bank lending proposed for 1999-2001, and a $60

million loan for a farm restructuring sector development program is already in the appraisal stage. Also, the Kazakhstani

Government reportedly asked the ADB for a $10 million emergency loan to combat locusts in 2000. In August, the ADB

moved its resident mission in Kazakhstan to the new capital

city of Astana, but it will also maintain a liaison office in Almaty.

Kyrgyzstan: ADB operations in the Kyrgyz Republic began

in 1994. As of December 31, 1998, the ADB had approved

12 loans for 10 projects totaling $314.2 million. In addition,

28 technical assistance grants have been approved worth $18.2

million. ADB assistance to Kyrgyzstan during 1999–2001

will concentrate on improving the provision of public services, including banking and water resources; agriculture,

including rural finance; education; and infrastructure, especially rehabilitation projects in the energy and roads sectors.

ADB will open a resident mission in Bishkek in early 2000.

Uzbekistan: Uzbekistan has received loans worth some $210

million since joining the ADB in 1995. More than half of

these loans ($120 million) were made in 1998, of which $50

million was for road rehabilitation and $70 million for railway rehabilitation. Priority areas for ADB projects in

Uzbekistan are agriculture, infrastructure, and education. The

ADB resident mission in Tashkent was opened in 1998.

Tajikistan: Tajikistan joined the ADB only in 1998, receiving its first loan, $20 million for a postconflict infrastructure

program, in December. ADB will focus its efforts in Tajikistan

on agriculture (and agro-processing), infrastructure rehabilitation, capacity building and institutional strengthening,

health, social protection services, and education. Some $60

million in loans and $8 million in technical assistance funds

are being considered for Tajikistan for 1999–2000.

Turkmenistan: ADB has approved Turkmenistan’s membership. It will become a full member when it makes its required

capital contribution to the bank.

Azerbaijan: In October 1999, press reports said that the

Azerbaijani parliament approved legislation on its country’s

membership in the ADB. Now, ADB approval is all that is

needed for Azerbaijan to join.

Winning Contracts with the ADB

Firms interested in winning procurement or consulting

contracts should integrate the ADB into their planned marketing strategies for Central Asia, and plan to make regular

visits to the bank’s headquarters in Manila and to the national agency executing the project. Face-to-face relationships

are essential to doing business in this part of the world.

Bids for Goods & Equipment: By monitoring the ADB

website, companies can carefully plan winning strategies for

upcoming procurement opportunities. On purchases over

$500,000, the ADB uses international competitive bidding

(ICB) to ensure economy and efficiency in the procurement

of goods and services. ICB requires advertising and a reasonable length of time for firms from any member country of

the ADB to submit bids. To streamline and facilitate the bidding process, the ADB has developed standard bidding documents that are available online to potential bidders.

(continued on p. 5)
BISNIS BULLETIN - December 1999

4

(WOMEN, continued from p. 1)

ORGANIZATION CONTACTS

Alliance of American and Russian Women

New York office: 212-730-5082 (tel)

Email: Info@AARwomen.org

Moscow office: +7 (095) 349-0554 (tel/fax)

Email: elenazar@mail.cnt.ru

Women Entrepreneurs Association of Russia

Tel: +7 (095) 143-5755

Email: awer.petrova@mtu-net.ru

Guildia Small Business Development Center

Tel: +7 (095) 290-1110

Fax: +7 (095) 291-9077

Email: guildia@online.ru

women on their activities and discussed issues of interest to

the visitors as well as possibilities for cooperation.

The visitors work for private companies and nonprofit

organizations in Russia that help promote small business development, greater professionalism, and the position of women

in the workplace.

The group included:

 ̈ Natalia Petrova, vice-president of the Women Entrepreneurs Association of Russia, which holds conferences

and conducts some 20 programs that help women start businesses, get jobs, and succeed in the workplace;

 ̈ Natalia Abramova, a journalist for the Saratov

Broadcasting Co., who has organized numerous journalistic

projects on women’s issues and economic development;

 ̈ Tatiana Mikheeva, co-director of the Moscow office

of TechCare Systems Inc., a Redwood, City, California-based

company that makes pharmaceuticals, diagnostic kits, and

lab equipment, and an alumnus of the SABIT program;

 ̈ Irina Razumnova, chairwoman of Guildia Small

Business Development Center, which operates a business

school, conducts training workshops on small business development in Russian regions, and organizes courses by foreign specialists on management, and is currently working to

promote the creation of home-based businesses in Russia;

 ̈ Elena Fedyashina, director in Russia of the Alliance

of American and Russian Women, which conducts a business incubator program in the Novgorod region to assist

emerging entrepreneurs, a customer service training program

in Moscow, and a mentoring program; and

 ̈ Aika Jaxybayeva, managing partner and cofounder

of Prime Standard, a Russian accounting and tax firm in

Moscow, who is creating a small business forum in Russia to

promote networking and information exchanges between

small companies operating in Moscow.

The group was accompanied by Anna Mironova of

Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP in Washington, DC.

BISNIS & Ukrainian Women

On October 21, BISNIS’ Juliana Kinal joined a panel of

speakers addressing 12 Ukrainian businesswomen who attended the BWN summit. Together with representatives of

ACDI-VOCA and Winrock International (Morrilton, AK),

Juliana spoke about BISNIS programs that assist Ukrainian

businesses. The women—the directors of a publishing house,

a hotel, a school of design, a clothing manufacturing firm,

two food processing plants, an advertising agency, and a

travel agency—came from five Ukrainian cities (Lviv,

Kherson, Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Cherkasy) and were sponsored by the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation. The foundation runs

the Community Partnerships Program, which pairs 18 Ukrainian and U.S. cities, establishing relationships through internships, homestays, training, and joint projects.

To contact the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation, call (202) 347-

4264, fax (202) 347-4267, or email: usuf@usukraine.org.

READERS TAKE NOTE

The Senate passed a trade and development bill

on November 3, 1999, that includes amendments that

extend the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences

(GSP) for four years and normalize trade relations between the United States and Kyrgyzstan. The bill still

must go to conference committee to reconcile it with

the House version before it can be signed into law.

 GSP, which provides preferential duty-free entry

to approximately 4,468 products from 149 designated

beneficiary countries, expired on June 30, 1999. In

past years, legislation to reauthorize GSP was passed

within a few months of its expiration and only extended

GSP for one year. This year, reauthorization legislation has been slow in coming, but it calls for extending

GSP through June 30, 2004. Traditionally, importers

are refunded duties paid after GSP is reauthorized,

but it is not clear whether this provision will be included in the final legislation. Eight NIS countries are

eligible for GSP—Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan,

Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Armenia, and Moldova.

For more information, telephone the GSP information

center at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

at 202-395-6971.

Another provision in the bill calls for the extension of permanent normal trade status to Kyrgyzstan.

If the bill becomes law, Kyrgyzstan could become the

first former Soviet republic where Jackson-Vanik is

no longer applicable.
BISNIS BULLETIN - December 1999

5

(ADB CONTRACTS, continued from p. 3)

The enforcement deadline for a requirement that all products sold in Kazakhstan be labeled in both the Russian and

Kazakh languages has been delayed until early next year. As

of February 1, 2000, the import of goods without dual language labeling will be prohibited. Distribution of goods not

correctly labeled within Kazakhstan is to be prohibited as of

April 1, 2000. The Kazakhstan Government order on dual

language labeling, originally set to go into effect on October

1, 1999, implements the 1997 Law on Languages. The responsible government agency is the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Trade (MEIT). The enforcement bodies are the

Customs Committee and the Committee on Standards, Metrology and Certification.

MEIT is currently drafting a regulation, “On Requirements for Product Information in Kazakh and Russian Languages on Labels,” that incorporates the suggestions and

amendments of importers into Kazakhstan and Kazakhstani

producers. These groups had expressed concerns and requests

on the labeling requirement’s provisions.

The contents of the original government order have not

changed. The U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service in Almaty

analyzed the order when it was passed in May. It noted that

the new labeling regulations required all goods subject to compulsory certification under Kazakhstan’s certification law to

be labeled in both the Kazakh and Russian languages. The

labels must contain the following information: (1) name of

goods and ingredients, (2) country of origin, (3) producer,

(4) production date, (5) expiration date, (6) storage directions, (7) directions for usage, and (8) nutrition information

(for food products only). The information must be printed on

the original label or packaging, included in accompanying

leaflets or directions for use (one per unit), or attached in any

other way depending on the type of good and in accordance

with corresponding standards and laws.

The new labeling requirements need to be implemented

by producers, importers (organizations and individuals), or

the sellers of the imported goods. Delivery of imported goods

and supply contracts must contain provisions for labeling in

accordance with the new regulations.

To contact the Kazakhstan State Committee on Standardization, Metrology and Certification in Almaty, tel: +7 (3272)

21-65-41 or fax: +7 (3272) 28-56-55. To contact the

Kazakhstan Customs Committee in Astana, tel: +7 (3172)

75-04-47 or fax: +7 (3172) 75-30-16.

For more information, contact the U.S. Commercial ServiceAlmaty at tel: +7 (3272) 58-79-16, fax: 58-79-22, email:

almaty.office.box@mail.doc.gov, or visit www.usis.kz/csalmaty

or BISNIS Online at www.bisnis.doc.gov/bisnis/isa/isa-cert.htm.

UPDATE ON KAZAKH DUAL

LANGUAGE LABELING LAW The ministry or executing agency of the country that is

responsible for implementing the project is also accountable

for the proper conduct of the procurement process. Officials

of the borrowing government determine who wins the various contracts to supply goods and services for their project.

However, for purchases over $100,000, ADB reserves the right

to review the procurement process and routinely reviews all

bids done under ICB.

Bidding for Consulting Services: For best results, consulting

firms should obtain project information as early as possible

and prepare by building relationships with ADB project officers and officials in the executing agency. These relationships will not only make the company known to the key

decisionmakers, but also may help in gathering information

to write an effective proposal.

Unlike procurement, selection for consultants for technical assistance (TA) project grants is done within the ADB

itself, not in the country receiving the services. However, the

executing agency does have input into the process. ADB uses

quality-based evaluation (QBE), and consultants are selected

purely on technical merit and then invited to negotiate to

establish the rates. The consultant selection process from when

the TA project is first announced until the contract is awarded

is about a 12-month process. No prequalification is needed

for consulting firms, but consultants are encouraged to register with ADB on its website using the Data on Consulting

Firms (DACON) and Data on Individual Consultants

(DICON) consulting firm and individual consultant registration systems. Consulting firms should note that there is a

quota of three bids per year on the submission of proposals

for technical assistance projects.

The U.S. Government Can Help

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Multilateral Development Bank Operations (MDBO) office in Washington,

part of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service, maintains

a U.S. Commercial Liaison to ADB Office in Manila to encourage participation of U.S. firms and represent U.S. commercial interests vis-a-vis ADB. The ADB Liaison Office in

Manila provides one-on-one counseling and detailed information on ADB procurement opportunities, and assists U.S.

firms in scheduling appointments with ADB project officers.

To contact the U.S. Commercial Liaison to the ADB, tel:

(632) 804-0460 or fax: (632) 804-0357, or send an email to

Denny.Barnes@mail.doc.gov.

U.S. manufacturers, equipment suppliers, consulting firms,

and individual consultants can learn of project opportunities by visiting the ADB website at www.adb.org/business/

opportunities. More information on MDBO is available by

calling (202) 482-3399 or 1-800-USA-TRADE (872-8723),

or visiting www.ita.doc.gov/mdbo.
BISNIS BULLETIN - December 1999

6

TRICKS OF THE TRADE

Navigating NIS Tender Announcements

by Kelly Raftery & Tanya Shuster

In the past several months, many U.S. companies have

asked for clarification on the process of tendering in the NIS

countries to determine how they can successfully access these

opportunities.

Tenders can be divided into two broad categories: (1)

tenders originating from a multilateral development bank,

such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), or the

World Bank group, and (2) tenders originating from an NIS

government body at the federal, regional, or municipal level.

Multilateral Tenders

The biggest challenge U.S. companies face in working

with multilateral development banks is learning the exact

procedures unique to each organization, and understanding

how to access the tender announcements. Each multilateral

development group follows set procedures in issuing a tender. Although the procedures vary between these organizations, they do share some common elements. For example,

they have a set announcement period for a tender, and also

use predictable methods of disseminating announcements—

via web pages, international publications, or the local press

in the country where the project will be completed. With a

multilateral development bank, a major goal is to make the

tendering process clear and transparent to companies competing for the project.

EBRD and ADB have websites on which tender,

prequalification, and general procurement notices are posted

regularly. A company serious about pursuing tender opportunities should subscribe to any publications that announce tenders and check the websites frequently. (Link to websites via

www.bisnis.doc.gov/bisnis/finance/finance.htm)

NIS Government Tenders

Tenders originating from the NIS do not necessarily follow the same patterns as multilateral development bank tenders, which can frustrate hopeful bidders. NIS government

tenders sometimes have a very short announcement period

prior to the tender document deadline. These tenders may or

may not be announced in the local press, and are unlikely to

be announced in international publications like The Economist. Occasionally, NIS governments may hold what they consider to be a “closed” tender, which is available only to those

companies the government singles out for participation.

Guidelines for Tenders

Regardless of the source of a tender, following a few general rules will put a U.S. company in a better position to take

advantage of tenders.

Know the Market—More and more NIS companies are

successfully bidding on tenders, and tender competition is

increasing. These NIS companies have local knowledge and

can meet the technical tender specifications. As is widely

known, the NIS is not just any international market, and success in one region does not guarantee success in another. Although large, internationally recognized companies may carry

a reputation that makes them an appealing bidder on the basis of product alone, real success in these markets requires

real familiarity with the local business environment. Without strong knowledge or experience in the local market, a

company’s expectations should be lower.

Foster Active Contacts—It is essential to foster good

working relationships with a variety of organizations in the

United States, in the country where the tender originated,

and/or the multilateral financial institution that is funding

the tender, and especially in the country in which the opportunity is being pursued. For NIS government tenders, target

contacts include regional industry committees and ministries,

as well as local administration offices and others. Particularly with government tenders, where pre-announcements are

a rarity, being in regular contact with local offices should

reveal “tenders in the works” and when they are likely to be

announced.

Consider Subcontracting—A possibility for small- to medium-sized companies that find it difficult to get past the exSoviet “bigger is better” mentality is to subcontract to companies that have been awarded large contracts. Awards are

announced by the multilateral development banks in their

procurement publications. This strategy will also help a company develop a working relationship with local authorities.

Resources

A first stop for a company interested in pursuing multilateral development bank opportunities is the Multilateral

Development Bank Operations (MDBO) office in the Department of Commerce’s USA Trade Center [dial 1-800-USATRADE (872-8723) press 4 and then 7, or 202-482-3399].

The Department of Commerce’s U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service has commercial representatives in each of the

multilateral development banks, as well as in embassies in

many NIS cities. Information on Foreign Commercial Service offices in the NIS can be found at www.bisnis.doc.gov/

bisnis/country/9910nis.htm.

To subscribe to BISNIS’ biweekly electronic publication,

BISNIS Trades & Tenders, register on BISNIS Online at

www.bisnis.doc.gov by clicking on “subscribe.”
BISNIS BULLETIN - December 1999

7

REGIONAL CORNER: Chui Oblast, Kyrgyzstan

by Irina Mukambaeva

The Chui oblast is located in the northern part of the

Kyrgyz Republic, bordering on Kazakhstan, and has a population of about 765,000. The region, the most economically

developed in Kyrgyzstan, occupies a favorable geographic

position and has an extensive communications network and

highly developed industry. Chui oblast is also a key transportation hub for Kyrgyzstan given the concentration of major

railway and highway routes and the international airport outside of Bishkek. In December 1999, renovation and upgrading of the Bishkek airport—including modernization of the

runway, navigation equipment, airport terminal, and other

facilities—will be completed. German construction firm

Hochtief is the general contractor for the project and U.S.

consulting company firm CH2MHill is the project manager.

Agricultural output accounts for 64.2 percent of the Chui

oblast’s GDP, and the industrial share is 35.8 percent. Grain,

sugar beet, vegetables, potatoes, milk and meat are the main

agricultural products. Major industries are food processing,

light and construction material industries, nonferrous metallurgy, and industrial engineering (machine-building). Major

enterprises in the oblast include the Kara-Balta mining complex (nonferrous metals), the Kant cement and slate complex

(67 percent of which was recently purchased by a Luxembourg company through a privatization tender), Ainek company (glass sheet), the Kitlap company (noodles), the Kyrgyz

Chemical-Metallurgical Plant (rare-earth metals), Kasiet company (wool processing), and the Tokmak canning plant.

Examples of joint ventures with foreign partners operating in the oblast are sugar and ethylene spirit production

(U.K.), noodles (China), and gasoline and diesel fuel (U.S.).

U.S. companies currently operating in Kyrgyzstan include

Newmont Mining, Caterpillar (mining equipment and power

generators), Comsat (Bethesda, MD), Motorola (communications), Coca-Cola, and Procter & Gamble (consumer goods).

The Bishkek Free Economic Zone (FEZ) is located in

the Chui valley, near Bishkek. Having attracted foreign investment worth $4.1 million, the FEZ is home to 416 companies: 325 enterprises with foreign investment, 152 foreign,

and 29 local enterprises. The most prominent investments in

the Bishkek FEZ are the Plaskap-Bishkek Plant (Turkish

plastic bottle and cap maker), Corona Ltd. (Kyrgyz-Russian

JV, production and bottling drinking water), Volare (New

York, NY, apparel), Eridan-FEZ (Kyrgyz-Russian-Irish JV,

windows and doors), and Full-Mobile (Kyrgyz-Italian JV,

furniture). The major benefits for a company registered in

the FEZ include exemption from several kinds of taxes and

duties and exemptions from quotas and licensing for the export of goods manufactured in the FEZ.

The Chui oblast has trade ties with 49 countries, and its

balance of trade is positive. The major exports are nonferrous and rare-earth metals, construction materials, yarn, and

agricultural products. The main export markets are Germany,

Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, France, and Russia. The major imports are petroleum products, coal, and food products.

The most promising investment opportunities for U.S.

companies are in the extraction of gold and rare-earth metals, nonferrous metallurgy, hydropower, agriculture, food processing and packaging industry, tourism, and electronics.

For more information on the Chui region, contact the Chui

Oblast Administration, Department on International Cooperation and Trade, Torogul Bekov, Department Head, at tel:

+996(312) 22-35-75, 22-39-75 or fax: +996(312) 22-54-93.

For information on the Bishkek FEZ, contact Mr. Emil

Ibraimov, Director General, Bishkek Free Economic Zone,

at tel:+ 996 (312) 21-17-22 or fax: +996 (312) 62-01-13.

Irina Mukambaeva is the BISNIS representative in Bishkek.

Map of Kyrgyzstan,

with regional divisions.

Please note: In October

1999, the Kyrgyzstani

parliament voted to

create a seventh region,

Batken Oblast, which will

be made up of three

districts from Osh oblast.
Penalty for Private Use, $300

Sender ________________

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

Washington, D.C. 20230

BISNIS - RRB

OFFICIAL BUSINESS

FIRST-CLASS MAIL

PRE-SORTED

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

ITA/DOC

PERMIT No. G-54

This notice is provided solely as an informational resource and does not constitute U.S. Department of Commerce endorsement of these events. For a more

complete listing of NIS trade events, visit BISNIS Online at www.bisnis.doc.gov/bisnis/leads/tradecal.htm. All information published in the BISNIS Bulletin

regarding trade events is subject to change without notice by the organizers of those events.

Consumer Goods ‘99

Upakovka/UrakItalia December 13–16, 1999 Moscow

Organized by:

Telephone:

Facsimile:

Website

Sector:

Expocenter

+7 (095) 255-3799

+7 (095) 205-2800

www.mdna.com

10th intl exhibition of packaging

machinery and equipment

December 24–27, 1999

Organized by:

Telephone:

Facsimile

Uzexpocenter

+998 (812) 259-4535, 4536

+998 (812) 327-5553

Vladivostok

TRADE EVENTS CALENDAR

Organized by:

Telephone:

Facsimile:

Email:

Website:

Peter’s Town Exhibitions USA

+7 (812) 259-4535, 4536

+7 (812) 327-5553

ptexpo@mail.wplus.net

Distributors/retailers of products for

department stores, supermarkets, mini-marts

Computer-4

Univermag/Universam ‘99 December 14–19, 1999

Organized by:

Tel/Fax:

Sectors:

December 14–17, 1999

Far Eastern Fair

+7 (4232) 221-987

Computer peripherals, Internet,

network systems

World Food

Technology 2000

All-Russia Exhibition Center

Moscow, Russia

February 1417, 2000

This 9th annual Russian and international food

technology exhibition will display all the product

categories represented in modern food and beverage

processing facilities. It is a U.S. Department of

Commerce Certified Trade Fair, which the Moscow

Commercial Office will support with activities to

showcase U.S. technology.

For more information, contact:

Comtek International,

tel: (203) 834-1122, fax: (203) 762-0773,

email: worldfoodtech@comtekexpo.com

or visit www.comtekexpo.com

St. Petersburg

Uzbekistan