Seoul: South Korea and Uzbekistan exchanged opinions on forging closer trade ties amid growing geopolitical uncertainties and a reshuffling of global supply chains, the industry ministry said Friday. Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan met with his Uzbek counterpart, Laziz Kudratov, in Seoul as the two countries seek to make progress in bolstering cooperation ahead of the inaugural South Korea-Central Asia summit, which is set to take place in September.
According to Yonhap News Agency, during the meeting, Seoul and Tashkent vowed to work closely in a wide range of economic areas, including trade, investment, artificial intelligence (AI) transformation, and addressing business hurdles. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources highlighted these commitments as key areas of focus for both nations.
Kim also asked for the Uzbek government's support for South Korean companies operating in the Central Asian nation, calling for continued efforts to establish a business-friendly environment through the Korea Desk launched under Tashkent's trade ministry earlier this month. "Uzbekistan is a key cooperation counterpart for South Korea and an important economic partner in the Central Asian region," Kim said in a release, adding Seoul will make efforts to bolster bilateral ties ahead of the upcoming summit.