October 7-9 this year during his stay in Seoul to participate in the 4th Culture and Strategies Forum on the Korean Peninsula and the North, ISRS Director Eldor Aripov held a series of meetings with the heads of leading think tanks in the Republic of Korea.

Negotiations were held with the leadership of the Center for International Area Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (CIAS), the Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS), the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security of the National Diplomatic Academy (IFANS), and Kookmin University.

In the course of the talks, the sides focused attention on the prospects for the development of Uzbek-Korean relations. The parties acknowledged that the partnership between the two countries has become sustainable, systemic and mutually beneficial.

This year marks the 32nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and 5 years of Special Strategic Partnership between our countries. Uzbekistan is the only country in Central Asia that has such a high level of cooperation with South Korea.

The participants of the meetings noted with satisfaction the increasing dynamics of trade and investment cooperation. In recent years, mutual trade has doubled, reaching $2.5 billion. The total volume of Korean investments in our country's economy has exceeded $7.5 billion. There are 726 enterprises with Korean capital in Uzbekistan.

Particular attention was also paid to expanding and deepening relations between ISRS and scientific, academic and analytical centers of South Korea. The importance of intensifying expert interaction in order to develop new ideas and proposals for further strengthening multifaceted cooperation between the countries was noted. In this regard, the parties agreed to conduct joint research in priority areas of cooperation, including such areas as industrial cooperation, digitalization, new technologies, combating climate change, green energy, transport and logistics, sustainable development and security.