One-day workshop devoted lo "Financial Tools for Knhancing Kxport and Mitigation of Foreign Trade Risks" was held at the "Dedeman Silk Road Tashkent" hotel on June 5, 2006. The workshop was arranged by the USA companies "Accordia Northeast Inc." and "Zurich Emerging Market Solutions" under the auspices of American Chamber of Commerce in Uzbekistan and USA company "Interconcepts Inc.". Representatives of the leading banks, insurance companies, sectoral LLCs, entities of the small business and entrepreneurship sector participated in the workshop. Mr Khanan Bashan, the Director of the "Logic Business Financing Company", addressed his welcoming speech to the workshop participants. "The target of the workshop", he said, "is to present to your attention such advanced financial tools and solutions in the field of trade and project insurance that will allow to extend exports and grant credits to the customers in order to enhance competitiveness at the world market by means of modem neutralization of risks".

The speakers at the workshop were Mr Piter Gabriel Mansky Senior Vice President, General Manager of the Trade Credit and Political Risk Division of the Accordia Company, and Mr James Braclie Assistant Vice President of the Political Risk and Trade Credit Company, Zurich. Having briefly described the activity of their companies, both speakers, using their rich experience at the international trade credit and insurance markets, explained to the participants the essence of such issues as insurance against political risks, insurance cover against political risks, credit coverage, political risks insurers, cooperation between the private sector and state agencies, trade credit insurance, types of credit insurance, trade credit insurers, etc.

The speeches were backed by visual information. The subject-related data, schemes, diagrams and figures were simultaneously displayed in English and Russian on the two large-format screens, with reference to financial and crediting organizations.

In the course of the report-related discussion, the representatives of the above companies answered numerous questions asked by the participants of the workshop.

The workshop enabled the participants to share experience and establish business contacts. "The workshop was extremely interesting", said Damir Gilyazov, Head of the Representation Office of "Tcxtima Export Import GmbH" company. Addressing to the workshop organizers, Dildora Abdujabbarova, Expert of the Tashkent Office of "Advance International Transport Inc." wrote: «First of all, let us kindly express our thanks for the presentation concerning Financial Tools for Enhancing Export and Mitigation of Foreign Trade Risks, which was really interesting for all the participants. We are sure that this information will be interesting for our clients, who arc involved in exports or imports all over the world». Summing up the workshop results, Mr Khanan Bashan told that the companies presented at the workshop are open for mutually beneficial cooperation with companies and organizations of Uzbekistan.

Prepared by: Uzbek A. Rustamov, General Representative. Interconcepls Inc. Translation to English: Lyubov Belokon