Uzbekistan, South Korea form a portfolio of projects worth $9.6 billion

The importance of forming a new high-tech agenda for the Uzbek-Korean special strategic partnership for the next three years was also noted.

The head of Uzbekistan took the initiative to declare this period “A new time of high-tech and innovative cooperation between the two countries”.

The following priority areas of interaction are proposed as “anchor” areas of the strategy:

• critical Mineral Resources Partnership;
• strategic cooperation in the field of semiconductors, where the Republic of Korea has traditionally been one of the global leaders;
• full-scale partnership in the chemical industry;
• deepening cooperation in mechanical engineering;
• technology transfer to create “smart” agriculture, including through the digitalization of the agricultural sector, the introduction of “smart” and “green” technologies;
• infrastructure modernization and urban planning program;
• modern and safe energy.

In addition, an agreement was reached on new projects under the EDCF fund worth $2 billion, including the supply of high-speed electric trains, the implementation of the second stage of the Tashkent Pharma Park project and the equipment of educational institutions.

Proposals to create an institute in Uzbekistan based on the model of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) were supported.

It was noted that the opening in partnership with the Korean Institute of Public Administration and the National Institute of Human Resources of a Center for Training in Digital Technologies and Artificial Intelligence at the Academy of Public Administration in Tashkent is being worked out.

In order to further bring the peoples of the two countries closer together, it was proposed to declare next year the “Year of Mutual Exchanges between Uzbekistan and Korea” with cross-curricular cultural events.

The parties agreed to expand partnership in the field of artificial intelligence, business process outsourcing and digital technologies.

Following the negotiations, the heads of state instructed to adopt “roadmaps” for each area with specific deadlines and implementation mechanisms.