S. Korea, Uzbekistan to hold summit on trade, supply chains
Yonhap | 16 December 2021
S. Korea, Uzbekistan to hold summit on trade, supply chains
SEOUL, Dec. 16 (Yonhap) — President Moon Jae-in and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will hold summit talks this week about topics including trade, supply chains and health care, a Cheong Wa Dae official said Thursday.
The Uzbek leader will make a state visit to Seoul from Thursday to Saturday at Moon’s invitation, and the two will meet Friday for a summit followed by lunch and dinner.
"The two leaders will discuss ways to increase future-oriented cooperation aimed at deepening the special strategic partnership relationship," the official told reporters.
"The two leaders will reaffirm their strong commitment to advancing negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement," the official said, noting that such a pact would help South Korea tap further into Central Asia’s largest market and establish a foothold for expansion into other nations in the region.
Uzbekistan is rich in natural resources such as copper and tungsten, and the leaders will look for ways to secure high-quality rare metals for immediate use in high-technology sectors.
Moon and Mirziyoyev will also share ideas on expanding cooperation in the health care sector to help enable a return to normal, the official said.
This will be the fourth summit between the leaders.
Next year, the two countries will mark the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties.
