On September 16, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev participated in the first Central Asia – Republic of Korea Summit in Seoul.
The event, chaired by the President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae Myung, was also attended by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, and the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
In accordance with the agenda, the leaders considered prospects for expanding mutually beneficial cooperation between the Central Asian states and the Republic of Korea in priority areas, including security, practical cooperation based on complementary strengths, and the expansion of humanitarian exchanges.
In his address, the President of Uzbekistan noted that as early as 2007, the Republic of Korea, demonstrating strategic foresight, was among the first to recognize Central Asia’s immense potential for close, mutually beneficial partnership in a multilateral format.
“We sincerely appreciate the significant contribution of the Korean side to the industrialization of our countries, the modernization of infrastructure, and the creation of a strong foundation for sustainable development”, emphasized Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
The roots of these strong ties go back centuries to the caravan routes of the Great Silk Road. At the heart of this strong friendship lie shared values – deep respect for the older generation, the importance of honest labor, and love and devotion to one’s native land.
“The Korean diaspora, which has become an integral part of the multinational family of Central Asia, is a bright symbol of solidarity and mutual sympathy of our peoples”, noted the Leader of Uzbekistan.
The main task today is not merely to maintain the momentum of cooperation, but also to turn these successes into a foundation for qualitative progress.
The significant and complementary potential of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea can open new horizons for building mutually beneficial partnerships.
In this regard, the President of Uzbekistan proposed five strategic areas of cooperation.
The first area covers establishing a long-term planning horizon for the partnership.
“In today’s world, the pace of global change increasingly outstrips the ability of states to adapt. Artificial intelligence is transforming the labor market and entire industries. Climate and water risks require solutions for decades to come. New demands are emerging for education, infrastructure, technology, and human capital”, stated President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
In response, the President proposed developing a long-term conceptual vision: “Central Asia – Republic of Korea: Partnership for Accelerated Development”.
A key focus of joint efforts should also be ensuring the security of the digital future by developing mechanisms for the early detection and prevention of cyber threats.
The second area aims to bring trade, economic, and investment potential into a unified business logic.
“Today, Central Asia is no longer merely a supplier of raw materials. Our countries are becoming increasingly integrated into global value chains, expanding opportunities for innovation and technological cooperation”, emphasized the President.
The Leader of Uzbekistan supported the initiative to establish a platform for meetings of ministers responsible for industry and trade, enabling participating countries to jointly identify effective solutions to significantly increase mutual trade and bring trade between the countries of the region and Korea to $20 billion by 2030.
As part of efforts to strengthen industrial and investment cooperation, the President expressed readiness to establish the “Central Asia – Korea” Industrial and Technological Park in Uzbekistan, which will serve as an innovation and production base for the regional market.
The establishment of direct partnerships between the regions of the participating countries was identified as an important driver of economic cooperation. In this regard, representatives of regional authorities and businesses from all countries were invited to take part in the Third Interregional Forum of Central Asia and Korea, to be held next year in Samarkand.
The third area is intended to open a new chapter in cooperation on critical minerals.
“Given the rapidly growing global demand for these valuable resources and the region’s vast reserves of critical minerals, Central Asia has the potential to become one of the world’s leading suppliers”, stated the Leader of Uzbekistan.
In this regard, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed establishing a Regional Investment Alliance for Critical Minerals aimed at creating strong processing clusters across the region, covering the entire value chain – from geological exploration to the deep processing of raw materials and the production of high value-added goods.
The fourth area of cooperation stems from the need to advance green development and strengthen climate change adaptation.
To combine complementary capabilities, the President proposed launching a Climate and Carbon Partnership between Central Asia and Korea.
The fifth area focuses on joint efforts to unlock the potential of the younger generation.
Central Asia has significant demographic potential, with young people under 30 accounting for more than half of the population.
“It is critically important for us that the younger generation becomes part of the modern technological economy, gaining access to advanced knowledge, competencies, and international experience”, emphasized President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
In this regard, the Leader of Uzbekistan proposed establishing a long-term Partnership in Human Capital Development based on a clear principle: “order – training – employment”.
Young people play an important role in the joint development and deployment of artificial intelligence. In this context, the President proposed making President Lee Jae Myung’s “Indispensable Korea” doctrine one of the key pillars of this large-scale process in Central Asia.
In conclusion, the President noted that Uzbekistan is ready to host high-level celebratory events next year marking the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea and the 90th anniversary of the Korean diaspora’s presence in the region.
The other leaders also addressed the summit. Following the event, the Seoul Declaration and several other documents on priority areas of cooperation were adopted.
UzA