1. Overview of the International Legal Forum “Tashkent Law Spring”
From April 25th to 27th, 2019, Uzbekistan hosted the first international legal forum "Tashkent Law Spring" in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, the "heart" of Central Asia. 1000 representatives from 37 countries attended the event. Lawyer Chen Min, head of Overseas Legal Affairs Center of Yingdong Law Firm attended the forum.
The theme of this forum is "Law in an Era of Rapid Modernization". Uzbekistan's Ministry of Justice, together with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Program Uzbekistan Office, Gazprom and other partners co-organized this event, as part of Uzbekistan's national action plan. Parallel sessions were also arranged on "Legal Education", "The Application of British Law after Brexit", and "International Arbitration". Legal professionals from all over the world had fruitful exchanges during the three-day event.
2. Uzbekistan in rapid development
Since 2017, Uzbekistan has been deepening its reform and opening up for cooperation with rest of the world, which has attracted widespread attention from neighboring countries and the international community. As one of the earliest countries to join the "Belt & Road Initiative" and one of the founding members of SCO, Uzbekistan has made great contribution to these two initiatives.
According to Uzbekistan's 2018 economic statistics, Uzbekistan's GDP was $50.3 billion, with 5.1% year-on-year increase, and 28.1% GDP deflator. GDP per capita was ~$1526.6, up by 3.3%; wage per capita was $232, up by 25%.
2019 marked the third year for Uzbekistan's nationwide market-oriented reform. A series of reform measures have stimulated Uzbekistan's economic growth and boosted its national productivity and foreign trade.
According to the National Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan on April 18, 2019, Uzbekistan's foreign trade volume in 2019Q1 was approximately $9.406 billion, up by 27.2%. Since the beginning of 2019, Uzbekistan's economic development has been making great breakthroughs. Along with economic globalization, Uzbekistan's reform measures will bring new energy and opportunities to the rest of the world.
3. Shanghai Yingdong Law Firm is a leading legal services provider for China and Ukraine
Lawyer Chen Min started the partnership with the Sherdav law firm in Uzbekistan back in 2012, to help settle cross-country trade disputes, i.e., to take legal actions for Chinese clients’ trade disputes in Uzbekistan and for Uzbekistan clients’ trade disputes in China.
Yingdong’s lawyers, Chen Min and Wu Jin, as the first law firm to visit the Chinese Consulate in Uzbekistan, received a warm reception.
In 2015, as the first law firm to visit the Chinese Embassy in Uzbekistan and the first firm to provide training for the Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce on "Investment Opportunities in China and Legal Risk Prevention”, Shanghai Yingdong gained high recognition from local companies.
In 2016, Praelegal Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan's leading law firm, came to visit and engage Shanghai Yingdong as its China Desk.
On December 23, 2017, signing ceremony for the Friendly Cooperation Agreement between the Shanghai Bar Association and Uzbekistan Bar Association was held in Shanghai. Witnessed by the President of the Shanghai Bar Association and the Deputy Minister of Justice of Uzbekistan, a comprehensive partnership agreement was signed between Shanghai Yingdong and Praelegal Uzbekistan Law Firm. The signing ceremony was covered by CCTV. Participants included the inspector of the President’s Office, director of the International Cooperation Bureau, directors of the judicial bureaus of each state, lawyers of the Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan, the deputy director of the Notary and Civil Registration Department, and the deputy chairman of the Uzbek Bar Association, as well as representatives of well-known law firms and senior notaries.
Yingdong Overseas Legal Affairs Center, as a leading China-Uzbek legal service provider, has provided legal consulting services for investments, plant constructions, taxation, project matching, company establishment, dispute resolution and etc. for more than ten Chinese and Uzbekistan companies.
With ongoing implementation of the “Belt and Road Initiative”, Uzbekistan is bound to usher in a new round of rapid economic development. This is also an opportunity and challenge for Chinese companies and law firms. Yingdong Law Firm has paved its way into the Uzbekistan market. The road ahead may be difficult, but we believe that "in the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity". Yingdong is determined to face any challenges head-on.
