President Lee Jae-myung described Uzbekistan as "a most valuable friend and key partner of South Korea" during a summit on September 14. He emphasized the need to expand cooperation in transportation, infrastructure, key mineral supply chains, artificial intelligence (AI), and defense industries.
The president made these remarks during an expanded summit with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the Blue House. The two leaders posed for a photo in front of their countries' flags before entering the meeting. President Lee recalled their first phone call on Mirziyoyev's birthday last year and their initial face-to-face meeting in New York, expressing his delight at meeting again in Seoul.
Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992, South Korea and Uzbekistan have built a strong partnership across various fields, including politics, economy, society, and culture. President Lee expressed hope that the two countries could further develop their special strategic partnership based on deep friendship and trust, aiming for mutual prosperity and peace.
He also expressed confidence that cooperation could be expanded in areas such as transportation, healthcare, climate crisis response, key mineral supply chains, AI, digital technology, and defense industries, urging both nations to create new engines for future growth together.
President Lee conveyed gratitude to the ethnic Korean community in Uzbekistan, stating, "Uzbekistan is a very special country to our people, as around 200,000 ethnic Koreans have built their lives there. I always hold a grateful heart for the Uzbek people who warmly embraced our compatriots during difficult times." He expressed a desire to enhance human and cultural exchanges to further cultivate the historical ties between the two nations.
Regarding the Korean Peninsula issue, he thanked Uzbekistan for its unwavering support for peace on the peninsula, stating, "Our cooperation will also contribute significantly to the peace and stability of Eurasia and the Korean Peninsula."
President Mirziyoyev praised South Korea as a country that has achieved an economic miracle in a short period, based on the diligence and strong will of its people. He described President Lee as a leader who values practical action and possesses experience and pragmatic insight, expressing optimism about the economic vision centered on AI and the '3-4-5 Economic Vision.'
He noted that over 700 South Korean companies have established joint ventures in Uzbekistan, with South Korean investment continuing to grow. He explained that South Korea's experiences and technologies are being shared across various sectors, including e-government, education, information technology (IT), agriculture, and healthcare.
Additionally, he reaffirmed Uzbekistan's continued support for the South Korean government's efforts to solidify peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, expressing hope that the visit to Seoul would invigorate the special strategic partnership between the two countries.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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