By Reporter Anna Kim

Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin arrived in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on June 1 for an official visit to the country. Foreign Minister Park had a bilateral meeting and a dinner with Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor Saidov, and had a broad exchange of views on key bilateral issues, regional affairs, and ways to work together in the international arena.

Foreign Minister Park took note of the remarkable progress in the Korea-Uzbekistan relations for the past 30 years or so since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992, and suggested continuing to develop bilateral relations in a more mutually-beneficial and future-oriented manner for the next 30 years.

To that end, the two sides agreed to continue expanding high-level exchanges that have played a key role in the development of bilateral relations, and further strengthen cooperation in areas such as energy and resources, critical mineral supply chains, nuclear power plants, health, education, the digital sector, and environment.

In order to expand trade and investment between the two countries, the two Foreign Ministers agreed to continue to work together on Uzbekistan's early accession to the WTO and the establishment of an institutional foundation for promoting bilateral trade and investment. Foreign Minister Saidov expressed appreciation to Korea for actively supporting Uzbekistan's accession to the WTO, as the chair of the Working Party on Uzbekistan's accession.

The two sides also agreed to strengthen supply chains of core minerals, including molybdenum and tungsten, through cooperation between Uzbekistan, rich in energy and resources, and Korea, which has advanced technologies such as ICT, amid changes in the international situation, where economic security has become important.

In addition, Foreign Minister Park specifically explained the difficulties faced by Korean companies in the fields of energy, infrastructure, and critical raw materials, and Foreign Minister Saidov said that Uzbekistan would continue to consult closely to resolve the difficulties.

Foreign Minister Saidov expressed appreciation to Korea for selecting Uzbekistan as an ODA priority partner country and contributing to the economic and social development of the country. The two sides agreed to work closely together to ensure the success of various development cooperation projects, including the construction of a large-scale medical complex and a chemical R&D center.