Korea and Uzbekistan have agreed to push for
new joint energy projects as the countries
seek to deepen and diversify their political,
economic and cultural ties.
The deals were inked during a meeting Tuesday
between Korean President Park Geun-hye and
her Uzbek counterpart in Tashkent.
Our Choi You-sun, who is traveling with the
president, filed this report.
President Park and her Uzbek counterpart Islam
Karimov agreed to continue cooperation in
joint projects worth more than eight billion
U.S. dollars, such as Uzbek's gas field development
and chemical complex construction.
They also sought ways to expand their economic
cooperation, in the areas of energy, textiles
and transportation.
Seoul asked for Tashkent's support in helping
Korean businesses take part in a 4 billion
U.S. dollar Uzbek gas and processing plant
development... and in the construction of
a 300 million dollar solar plant in Samarkand.
"Korean firms are monitoring Uzbekistan's
growth potential.
They want to take part in diverse areas such
as large-scale resources development or construction
infrastructure investments."
Korea helping to develop an Uzbek electronic
government administrative system and Korean
firms participating in an Uzbek highway construction
were also discussed.
"Korea is a strategic partner that has built
an immense economy and knowledge in science
and technology."
Seoul signed a deal to build a textile complex
in Uzbekistan, which is the world's number
six cotton producer.
The Uzbek leader also endorsed President Park's
trust-building process with North Korea, as
well as her Eurasia Initiative, re-connecting
energy and logistics infrastructure from the
Far East to Europe, to lay the groundwork
for regional peace and to change the global
economic system.
"The next stop on President Park's Eurasia
Initiative campaign tour is Samarkand, a city
that was at the heart of the Silk Road.
She will then travel to Kazakhstan on Wednesday
for a three-day state visit.
Choi You-sun, Arirang News, Tashkent."
