The Presidents of Uzbekistan and South Korea, Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Lee Jae-myung, confirmed their readiness to elevate the special strategic partnership between the two countries to a new level during talks held in Seoul as part of the Uzbek leader's state visit. The parties also affirmed the closeness of their positions on regional and international agenda items.
According to the press service of the Uzbek president, the South Korean president called the visit an important event in the history of bilateral relations. Mirziyoyev emphasized that Korea has become a reliable friend and one of the most important economic partners. More than 700 joint ventures with Korean capital currently operate in Uzbekistan. Major companies such as Samsung, LG, Lotte, Young One, BOMI, and KIA are active in the market. The total value of Korean investments has exceeded eight billion dollars. Flagship projects include KIA production in the Jizzakh region, the National Children's Medical Center, and the Ustyurt Gas Chemical Complex.
Mirziyoyev outlined five priority areas for expanding economic cooperation: trade, investment, critical minerals, transport, and infrastructure. Promising projects worth 12 billion dollars have been prepared, and a strategic partnership program with the Export-Import Bank of Korea worth eight billion dollars has been adopted. The parties also focused on an innovation alliance in IT, cybersecurity, and digital medicine. Readiness to develop military-technical cooperation was expressed.
Four branches of Korean universities and five vocational training centers assisted by KOICA operate in Uzbekistan. An agreement was reached to declare 2027 the 'Year of Culture and Mutual Exchanges.' Mirziyoyev noted that the Korean diaspora is an integral part of Uzbekistan's multi-ethnic family and serves as a spiritual bridge between the two countries.
Earlier, it was reported that Shavkat Mirziyoyev's state visit to Korea began with a ceremony honoring the memory of heroes who gave their lives for the country's freedom and independence.
Source: podrobno.uz