Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The Republic of Uzbekistan is the only country in Central Asia with which the Republic of Korea has established a “special strategic partnership.” I would define these relations as a partnership between countries that jointly address important challenges and look toward the distant future.
On 14 September this year, a meeting was held between President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae Myung and President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who arrived in Korea on a state visit. The leaders of our two countries discussed a wide range of areas of cooperation, from railways and airports to critical minerals, artificial intelligence, healthcare, education and even the defence industry. Following the meeting, our countries concluded a total of 13 agreements and memorandums of understanding in various fields, confirming their readiness to jointly build both the present and the future.
A good example of bilateral relations is cooperation in the transport sector. Alongside the supply of high-speed trains, the two countries are jointly implementing projects to build New Tashkent Airport and modernise and manage Urgench Airport. The development of railways and airports connects Uzbekistan’s cities with one another and reduces distances to foreign markets. This contributes to the expansion of trade and tourism and helps companies from different regions access broader markets. Korea’s participation in this process also means jointly advancing Uzbekistan’s economic growth.
Critical minerals and artificial intelligence are considered areas with particularly strong prospects for further cooperation. Our countries have agreed to expand cooperation across the entire cycle, from exploration and development of deposits to mineral processing, as well as to intensify cooperation on introducing AI into manufacturing. I would like to emphasise that processing and production volumes in Uzbekistan should continuously increase, while local companies and specialists need to master new technologies. At the same time, this process will create opportunities for Korean companies to grow together with their Uzbek counterparts. It is important to jointly seek ways to turn the strengths of each country into mutual benefit.
For these plans to become real projects, it is necessary to create conditions in which companies can freely exchange views and jointly resolve emerging issues. This is why high hopes are being placed on the “Korea Desk” and the “Korea-Uzbekistan Economic Association,” established during the visit. For businesses, it is important to understand whom to contact and how to resolve an emerging problem. If a channel for dialogue is established and the two sides gain a better understanding of each other, this will help strengthen confidence in new investments.
Much also remains to be done in areas directly connected with people’s everyday lives. Expanding cooperation in the establishment of a medical cluster, as well as in the pharmaceutical sector and the production of medical devices, will contribute to improving the quality of healthcare services. Expanding educational cooperation and the teaching of the Korean language will provide young people with more opportunities for career development and employment. Addressing environmental problems, such as the desiccation of the Aral Sea and water shortages, is a task for which the two countries should combine their experience and technologies. As such cooperation develops consistently, the peoples of both countries will be able to feel the results of stronger bilateral relations even more clearly.
A strong foundation that enables the two countries to cooperate in many areas, including the economy, is political trust. During the summit, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev once again reaffirmed his support for the efforts of the Republic of Korea aimed at establishing peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Next year will mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as the 90th anniversary of the resettlement of Koreans to Central Asia. The Korean people are particularly grateful for the memory of how, during difficult times, the Uzbek people welcomed their neighbours — the Korean diaspora. At the summit, an agreement was reached to complete the joint project to build the “Museum of the History of Koreans,” which is evidence of the two countries’ shared responsibility for passing this invaluable history on to future generations.
Two days after the Korea-Uzbekistan summit, on 16 September, another important meeting took place in Seoul. For the first time, the leaders of the Republic of Korea and five Central Asian countries gathered around the same table. The dialogue that began in 2007 at the ministerial level within the framework of the Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum has now reached the level of heads of state. In this sense, the first Korea-Central Asia Summit became a new starting point in Korea’s relations with the Central Asian countries.
When six countries discuss issues together, more challenges can be addressed. Logistics and supply chains span the territories of several states, while climate change cannot be tackled solely within national borders. If the experience of cooperation accumulated in one country is extended to neighbouring states, opportunities for implementing new projects also expand. The experience accumulated by Korea and Uzbekistan through bilateral cooperation will contribute to developing interaction with other Central Asian countries, while also creating new opportunities for companies from our two countries in this process.
The “Seoul Declaration” adopted by the leaders at the summit reflects the main areas of such cooperation. These include further joint efforts to strengthen peace and stability, develop industry and technology, and expand humanitarian exchanges. The creation of a new dialogue mechanism at the level of industry ministers and the adoption of cooperation initiatives in AI, climate and the environment are intended to make more concrete the tasks that relevant government agencies and businesses will have to address following the leaders’ meeting. Going forward, these mechanisms can be used to identify mutual needs and develop joint projects.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed developing a long-term vision, “Central Asia – Republic of Korea: Partnership for Advanced Development,” establishing a Central Asia-Korea Industrial and Technology Park in the country, and expanding cooperation in personnel training. It is worth noting that the initiative to establish an industrial and technology park demonstrates the possibility of expanding bilateral cooperation to the entire region. Implementing this initiative will help attract enterprises and specialists from other Central Asian countries to joint production and research projects carried out by Korea and Uzbekistan.
Thanks to the meetings held in Seoul, our two countries now have even more opportunities for joint work. Bilateral cooperation has deepened, while avenues for interaction with neighbouring Central Asian countries have broadened. It is now important to carefully take into account each other’s expectations and interests and implement the agreements reached step by step. Our Embassy will also remain alongside them, supporting companies, institutions and citizens of the two countries so that they can make the most of these opportunities and potential.
Won Do-yeon,
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to Uzbekistan
