South Korea to Help Uzbekistan Introduce Artificial Intelligence into the Public Procurement System

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 26–27 November 2025, an international public procurement conference for Southeast and East Asian countries was held in Seoul, organized by the Government of the Republic of Korea in cooperation with the Asian Development Bank.

Uzbekistan was represented by Sarvar Nazarov, Director of the Public Procurement Policy Department of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, who headed the Uzbek delegation.

The conference brought together representatives from more than ten countries and around one hundred experts from Korea and abroad.

On 26 November, Nazarov delivered a presentation on Uzbekistan’s large-scale public procurement reforms, the digitalization of processes, and strategic plans for the future. B2B and B2G meetings were also held on the same day.

A separate meeting between the Uzbek delegation and the Public Procurement Service of the Republic of Korea (PPS) focused on exchanging experience in implementing electronic systems, enhancing transparency, and increasing competition.

The negotiations placed particular emphasis on the use of artificial intelligence tools to automate procurement processes, reduce corruption risks, improve accountability among participants, and introduce international monitoring standards.

Following the discussions, the parties agreed to further expand cooperation in the digitalization of procurement, the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies, specialist training, support for local manufacturers, and the creation of systemic anti-corruption mechanisms.

It was noted that developing a joint “roadmap” would be an important step toward strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in the field of public procurement.

South Korea is among the global leaders in the use of electronic technologies in procurement.

The KONEPS platform, which incorporates artificial intelligence, helps identify risks in tenders, filter out fraudulent proposals, and save billions in public funds.

The Public Procurement Service of the Republic of Korea (PPS) is recognized as one of the world’s leading institutions in electronic procurement, automated tender monitoring, and the implementation of innovative procurement mechanisms.