The fruitful results of this meeting were made possible by resolute and active efforts of South
Korean leader Moon Jae-in to implement a peace-loving course aimed at improving relations
between the Republic of Korea and the DPRK, ensuring global security and stability and
strengthening confidence in the region.
The high level of political agreement between Tashkent and Seoul creates the most
favorable conditions for further strengthening and expanding of economic cooperation.
According to the international observers, the state visit of Sh. Mirziyoyev to the Republic of Korea
was a “breakthrough”, taking into account the agreements reached in the economic and
investment spheres by $ 8.9 billion 5 .
The policy of liberalization conducted in Uzbekistan today in the financial, monetary, trade,
economic and investment spheres significantly increases the strategic attractiveness of the
Uzbek market for South Korean companies. In our country, we are greatly interested in further
enhancing South Korea’s participation in the implementation of joint investment, transport and
communications and other projects, development of knowledge-intensive segments of the
economy and increase of the export potential of Uzbekistan.
Today, between the two countries, a whole series of joint strategically important large
projects in various sectors of the economy have been successfully completed and are being
implemented. These are automotive, transport infrastructure, the oil and gas sector, information
and communication technologies, mining, and others. South Korea is one of the leading trade,
economic and investment partners of Uzbekistan. Mutual trade in 2017 exceeded $ 1.3 billion,
with an increase of 27%. The volume of attracted investments is $ 7 billion 6 .
Uzbekistan’s share in South Korea’s trade with all countries of Central Asia is almost 50%.
The experts from the Korean edition of “The Korea Times” stress that more than 460 South
Korean companies are operating in Uzbekistan. Korean investors take particular interest to such
«Why South Korea has won the battle for Uzbekistan», Russian online edition «Sputnik», November 28 2017., https://ru.sputniknews-
uz.com/analytics/20171128/6932585/uzbekistan-koreya-bitva.html.
6 National Information Agency of Uzbekistan, «Uzbekistan – South Korea: new stage of strategic partnership, November 23 2017 г.,
http://uza.uz/ru/politics/uzbekistan-yuzhnaya-koreya-novyy-etap-otnosheniy-strategiche-23-11-2017.
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