Moon Jae-in: We see in Uzbekistan a partner that occupies an important place in the New Northern Policy of South Korea

The President of the Republic of Korea arrived on a state visit in Uzbekistan on April 18 and met with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the Kuksaroy residence on April 19.

Following the official welcoming ceremony, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in held talks in narrow and expanded formats.

The head of our state welcomed the distinguished guest in the Uzbek land and noted that this is an important and long-awaited visit.

“South Korea is a reliable and priority partner of Uzbekistan. I warmly recall our meeting in 2017. Then the negotiations were held in a sincere and constructive atmosphere, a significant package of documents was signed. Your current visit will give a new impetus to the development of interstate relations,” said Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The President of the Republic of Korea expressed his gratitude for the invitation to Uzbekistan.

“Uzbekistan is a country with an ancient and rich history in the center of the Great Silk Road. Today, your country is entering a new era of its development. We see in Uzbekistan a partner that occupies an important place in the New Northern Policy of South Korea, aimed at enhancing trade and investment ties. Today we intend to bring cooperation to the level of a special strategic partnership,” Moon Jae-in noted.

The meeting discussed the prospects for the development of comprehensive cooperation between Uzbekistan and South Korea. The leaders of the two countries agreed on the issues of finding mutually beneficial areas of partnership, actively continuing political dialogue and regular consultations.

The parties reached an agreement on strengthening strategic partnership, expanding bilateral cooperation and intensifying friendship between our nations.

A positive assessment was given to the dynamics of trade and economic cooperation, it was noted that there are many opportunities for its further expansion. The need to improve the legal and institutional framework for this purpose, to intensify visits at various levels and contacts between the business communities was stressed.

During the meeting, an exchange of views on topical issues of the regional and international agenda of mutual interest also took place. It was noted that South Korea supports the practical efforts of Uzbekistan to strengthen the atmosphere of good-neighborliness in the region, mitigate the effects of the Aral tragedy, and promote the peace process in Afghanistan. Uzbekistan, in turn, supports the peace-loving policy of the Republic of Korea, aimed at strengthening the agreement on the Korean Peninsula.

The main focus of the negotiations in an extended format is given to the development of practical cooperation in the trade and economic, investment, financial and technical, cultural, humanitarian and other fields.

An important role in the development and implementation of mutually beneficial projects is played by the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation. On March 4 of this year, Tashkent hosted the ninth meeting of the Commission. 

Over the past two years, the volume of trade between the two countries exceeded $2.1 billion, which was the highest figure in recent years.

In Uzbekistan, 660 enterprises operate with the participation of Korean investors, including 354 enterprises with 100% foreign capital.

The Korean side welcomed the ongoing reforms aimed at liberalizing the economy and improving the investment climate. This will serve to increase Korean investment in Uzbekistan, increase the number of high-value-added industries and enhance cooperation between the two countries in the field of technology.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted that Uzbekistan is interested in expanding cooperation in the energy, oil and gas, chemical, mining, transport and logistics spheres, the implementation of promising projects in the field of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, textile and food industry, and infrastructure development.

The head of our state emphasized the intention to continue to provide full support to Korean business people so that they feel comfortable and confident in Uzbekistan.

During the negotiations, new opportunities for partnership in these areas were discussed, and relevant proposals were considered. The parties agreed on the creation of joint ventures in leading sectors of the economy, free economic and small industrial zones of our country, the development of "e-government", and training of personnel for the innovation and social spheres.

Humanitarian relations are another important, complex direction of Uzbek-South Korean relations. Today, fruitful cooperation is maintained in the fields of information technology, digital medicine, education and culture. The experience of South Korea is widely introduced into the pre-school education system of our country.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted interest in further expanding cooperation in these areas. The South Korean President expressed his country's readiness to share best practices and promote staff development.

President Moon Jae-in invited President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to visit South Korea at a convenient time for him.