19.04.2019

Following the official ceremony of meeting, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-In held talks in contracted and extended formats.

The head of our state greeted the high guest on the Uzbek land and noted that it is an important and long-awaited visit.

“South Korea is Uzbekistan’s reliable and priority partner. I recall our meeting in 2017 with warmness. Back then, we held sincere and constructive negotiations, a considerable package of documents was signed. Your current visit will afford a new vigor to the evolution of interstate relations,” Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.    

President of the Republic of Korea expressed gratefulness for the invitation to Uzbekistan.

“Uzbekistan is a country with ancient and rich history, in the heart of the Great Silk Road. Today, your country is entering into a new era of its development. We see a partner in Uzbekistan with an important place in South Korea’s New Northern Policy directed at intensifying the trade and investment ties. Today we intend to raise the cooperation to the level of special strategic partnership,” Moon Jae-In said.

The two leaders discussed prospects of comprehensive cooperation between our two countries. The Presidents agreed on issues of searching for mutually beneficial areas of partnership, of active continuation of political dialogue and consultations for regular “synchronization of watches”.

The parties agreed to bolster the strategic partnership to enhance bilateral cooperation and strengthen the friendship between our peoples.

Positive evaluation 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 among the business communities was stressed.

The Presidents also exchanged views on topical issues of the regional and international agenda of shared interest. It was noted that South Korea supports Uzbekistan’s practical efforts to consolidate 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 building up harmony on the Korean Peninsula. 

The main focus of the negotiations in an extended format at the Kuksaroy was on the development of practical interaction in the trade and economic, investment, financial and technical, cultural, humanitarian and other fields.

The Uzbek-South Korean cooperation has been advancing steadily on all fronts. The most favored nation regime operates between our two countries.

An important role in the development and implementation of mutually advantageous projects is attributed to the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation. On March 4 this year, Tashkent hosted its ninth session. Since 2018, the format of meetings of Deputy Prime Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea on economic issues has been introduced.

Over the past two years, the volume of trade between the two nations exceeded 2.1 billion dollars, 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 in Uzbekistan aimed at liberalizing the economy and improving the investment climate. This will serve to boost Korean investments into 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 enlarging interaction in the energy, oil and gas, chemical, mining, transport and logistics spheres, in implementing 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 the Korean businesses 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 “electronic government”, and training of specialists 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. South Korea’s experience is widely introduced into the pre-school education system of our country.

The head of our state stressed interest in furthering the 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 time convenient for him.