By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo
The Embassy of Uzbekistan held a reception to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of Uzbekistan's independence and the 32nd anniversary of diplomatic relations with Korea in the Grand Ballroom of Lotte Hotel in Seoul on Aug. 30.
The event was hosted by the new Uzbek Ambassador-designate to Korea Alisher Abdusalomov and was attended by about 500 people, including Korean government officials, diplomats from various countries, and leading Korean businessmen.
Uzbekistan is celebrating its 33rd anniversary since declaring September 1, 1991 as its Independence Day, and the event reaffirmed the close ties between the two countries, especially in light of President Yoon Suk-yeol's state visit in June, which marked a new turning point in bilateral relations.
In his welcoming address, Ambassador-designate Alisher Abdusalomov said, “President Yoon's state visit to Uzbekistan marked a new historic milestone in our bilateral relations, and we will be launching a new high-tech partnership with South Korea over the next three years.”
He announced that the bilateral cooperation will focus on seven key areas: core mineral resources, semiconductors, chemical industry, engineering, smart agriculture, infrastructure and urban development, and energy supply.
The two presidents also agreed to declare 2025 as the “Year of Interaction between Korea and Uzbekistan” and proposed to hold various joint events to mark the occasion.
Since independence, Uzbekistan has established 800 joint ventures with South Korea in various fields, and South Korean investment in Uzbekistan has totaled more than $7.5 billion. Last year, bilateral trade volume exceeded $2.5 billion, but Uzbekistan is not satisfied with the current level of economic cooperation and is striving for further development.
Delivering congratulatory remarks, Kim Hee-sang, deputy minister for economic affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “Over the past two to three years, Uzbekistan, under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, successfully implemented country-wide reforms, which have resulted in remarkable progress in political, economic and social spheres.”
Commenting that Korea and Uzbekistan have built deep trust and friendship since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992, based on strong historical and cultural ties, Kim said, “Our two countries have become intimate partners of cooperation across a broad range of areas.”
The event also featured a special issue on Uzbekistan published by the 27-year-old Diplomatic Journal, which attracted much attention. The Diplomatic Journal publishes special issues based on articles from the country at the request of foreign embassies in Korea. For more information, please visit the Diplomatic Journal's website.
