[Intl-tobacco] BAT to export more cigs. from Uzbekistan (fwd)

[Robert Weissman]

Uzbek-British JV to export about 2,000 mln
cigarettes. 

March 1, 2000 
TASHKENT, February 29 (Itar-Tass) via
NewsEdge Corporation - An official on the Board
of an Uzbek-British joint venture of the British
American Tobacco Co. told Itar-Tass on Tuesday
that about 2,000 million "Made in Uzbekistan"
cigarettes are to be exported this year. Last
year the JV exported more than 1,000 million
cigarettes worth 5,000 USD to ten countries. 

The British company is one of major investors to
the Uzbek economy. Its equity share in the JV
charter capital is 97 percent. The overall cost of
the project is 292 million USD, with 247 million
USD being already used. Out of the sum, 100
million USD were used to build a tobacco factory
in Samarkand. 

The full rated capacity of the factory is 12,000
million cigarettes a year.