13 agreements and MOUs signed, including deal to introduce 8 high-speed rail sets and establish biomedical center

President Lee Jae Myung and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev hold an expanded summit at Cheong Wa Dae on Monday. [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev hold an expanded summit at Cheong Wa Dae on Monday. [Yonhap]

President Lee Jae Myung held a summit with visiting Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Monday, agreeing to deepen cooperation across a broad range of economic and security areas — from critical mineral supply chains and AI to the defense industry and infrastructure. The two countries signed 13 government-level agreements and MOUs on the occasion, including a contract to introduce eight high-speed rail sets.

Speaking at the opening of the expanded South Korea-Uzbekistan summit held at the main building of Cheong Wa Dae that afternoon, Lee said the two sides would "broaden the horizon of mutually beneficial cooperation and jointly drive future growth engines — from transportation, infrastructure, healthcare and climate response to critical mineral supply chains, AI and digital technologies, and the defense industry."

Senior South Korean officials attending the summit included Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Koo Yun-cheol, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan, Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) Commissioner Lee Yong-cheol, Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, Senior Secretary for Economic Growth Ha Jun-kyung, Second Deputy National Security Adviser Im Woong-sun and Ambassador to Uzbekistan Won Do-yeon.

The two leaders presided over a signing ceremony for the 13 inter-governmental agreements and MOUs, which included a contract for the introduction of eight high-speed rail sets and an agreement to establish a "Biome Center" in Uzbekistan to build a local genomics and biobank facility.

Lee said the two countries had "built a solid cooperative relationship across diverse fields — political, economic, social and cultural — since establishing diplomatic ties in 1992," describing Uzbekistan as "our most precious friend and key partner, the only country in Central Asia with which we hold a special strategic partnership." He added that he hoped the two sides would "develop this relationship with even greater substance on the foundation of deep friendship and trust, and leap forward together toward shared prosperity and peace."

Lee also expressed gratitude for the Koryo-saram community in Uzbekistan. "This is a country of deep personal significance to our people — it is where some 200,000 ethnic Korean compatriots have built their lives," he said. "We have always held a warm sense of gratitude for the way you embraced our compatriots during difficult times." He added that Seoul would "expand the scope of people-to-people and cultural exchanges to grow even greater fruits from this relationship," and said that as global uncertainty deepens, "the roles of our two countries have become all the more important. Our cooperation will be a great force for peace and stability on the Eurasian continent and the Korean Peninsula."

Mirziyoyev said the two countries "share the same challenges and priorities," adding that "placing human well-being above all else is our common principle."

He noted that more than 700 South Korean companies operate in Uzbekistan through joint ventures and that South Korean investment continues to grow. "South Korea's experience and technology are being widely shared across industries, including e-government, education, IT, agriculture and healthcare," he said. Mirziyoyev also pledged that "Uzbekistan will consistently support the South Korean government's efforts to consolidate peace and security on the Korean Peninsula," and expressed hope that his visit would "inject new vitality into the special strategic partnership between our two countries."


sunpine@heraldcorp.com