President Lee Jae-myung on the 14th held talks with Uzbekistan President Mirziyoyev, who is on a state visit to Korea, and said the two sides "will broaden the horizon of mutually beneficial cooperation and jointly drive future growth engines, from transportation, infrastructure, health care, and climate crisis response to critical mineral supply chains, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital, and even the defense industry."
Lee held an expanded meeting that afternoon at the main building of the Blue House with attending officials from the Uzbekistan government and said this. On the Korean government side, Ambassador to Uzbekistan Won Do-yeon, Senior Secretary for Economic Growth Ha Joon-kyung, National Security Office Director Wi Sung-lac, Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) Kim Jung-kwan, Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yun-cheol, Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun, Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, Defense Acquisition Program Administration Commissioner Lee Yong-chul, and Second Deputy Director of the National Security Office Im Woong-soon attended.
Using the summit as an opportunity, the two countries signed a total of 13 inter-ministerial agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOUs), including the introduction of eight high-speed train sets and the establishment of the Uzbekistan genome and biobank "Biome Center."
Lee said, "Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992, the two countries have built a solid cooperative relationship in various fields, including politics, economy, and socioculture," adding, "Among Central Asian countries, (Uzbekistan) is our only special strategic partner and an invaluable friend and key partner."
He added, "I hope the two countries, based on very deep friendship and trust, will further substantively develop this relationship and take a leap together toward shared prosperity and peace."
Lee particularly emphasized, "It is a very special country to our people as a place where 200,000 Koryoin compatriots have built their livelihoods," adding, "We have always kept in our hearts gratitude for warmly embracing our compatriots in difficult times."
He added, "We will broaden the scope of human and cultural exchanges so we can nurture these ties into even greater results."
He also said, "As uncertainty in the international situation grows, the roles of our two countries have become even more important," adding, "Our cooperation will be a strong force for peace and stability in Eurasia and on the Korean Peninsula."
In response, President Mirziyoyev said, "The tasks and priorities facing our two countries converge," adding, "A common principle is that human well-being takes precedence over everything else."
He said, "More than 700 Korean corporations have entered Uzbekistan in the form of joint ventures," adding, "The scale of Korean investment is also steadily expanding," and "Across industries, including e-government, education, IT, agriculture, and health care, Korea's experience and technology are being widely shared."
He added, "Uzbekistan will unwaveringly support the Korean government's efforts to solidify peace and security on the Korean Peninsula," and said, "I hope this visit becomes an opportunity to inject new vitality into our special strategic partnership."