By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul held his first meeting with Uzbekistan Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor SAIDOV since taking office at the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 20. The two sides discussed bilateral relations between the two countries.

Foreign Minister Cho said that Uzbekistan and Korea have developed a special partnership, suggesting that they continue to cooperate closely in various fields. 

Foreign Minister Saidov said that Uzbekistan, a special strategic partner of Korea, greatly values its relations with the country and intends to further promote it.  

To this end, both sides agreed to work together to further boost high-level exchanges, including at the levels of foreign minister and head of state, between the two countries.

In addition, Foreign Minister Cho requested Foreign Minister Saidov's special attention to and support for Korean companies to ensure their participation in cooperation projects in areas such as transportation, infrastructure, supply chains, and defense industries. 

Expressing welcome for investment by Korean companies, Foreign Minister Saidov said that Uzbekistan would render cooperation to facilitate continued participation of Korean companies.

The two Foreign Ministers also agreed to further strengthen strategic cooperation in the field of eco-friendly energy such as solar and wind power. 

Foreign Minister Saidov expressed gratitude to Korea for its active cooperation to date for Uzbekistan's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). And he requested continued support for promoting trade and investment between the two countries.

Moreover, the two Foreign Ministers discussed Korea-Central Asia relations and the situations in the two regions. Foreign Minister Saidov reaffirmed the Uzbekistan government's consistent support for the Korean Peninsula policy of the Korean government.