On December 15, at the Hanyang University in Seoul, a scientific and practical seminar was held on the topic: "Strategic cooperation between Uzbekistan and South Korea", timed to coincide with the visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the Republic of Korea.

The event, organized by Asia-Pacific Research Center with the support of the Presidential Committee on Northern Economic Cooperation, was attended by over 25 prominent professors and experts from 8 leading research institutes and think tanks of Republic of Korea. The Uzbek side was represented by leading analysts from ISRS, IICA and CERR.

The event analyzed the cooperation between the two countries in the political and diplomatic sphere and the coordination of activities at the international and regional levels. The course of implementation of investment projects was studied, and promising areas of trade and economic cooperation were discussed. The agenda of the upcoming summit of heads of state was considered and promising opportunities for deepening the bilateral dialogue were examined.

The representative composition of the seminar participants predetermined a rich exchange of views on the current state and prospects of bilateral cooperation, and also allowed generating ideas for further building up a special strategic partnership.

In his welcoming speech, Director of the Asia-Pacific Research Center, Hanyang University Gu Ho Eom noted that the upcoming visit of the head of Uzbekistan to Korea will be an important step for strengthening bilateral relations and will lay the foundation for enriching the agenda with new large-scale cooperation initiatives.

According to him, the impressive reforms carried out by the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev are transforming the country into a leading state in the Central Asian region, creating the preconditions for improving the living standards of the population.

Gu Ho Eom stressed that such a policy of the leader of Uzbekistan contributes to strengthening the country’s role as a key partner of the "New Northern Policy for Economic Cooperation" of the Republic of Korea. In this regard, the organized seminar allows discussing the expansion of joint events at all levels and identifying promising "points of contact" of the interests of the two countries.

In turn, the Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sanjar Valiev noted that today the Uzbek-Korean strategic partnership has acquired productive character.

According to the Deputy Director of the ISRS, the "New Northern Policy" of President Moon Jae-in is consonant with the development strategy of the "New Uzbekistan" of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. In addition, the process of restoring interconnection between Central and South Asia, initiated by the Head of Uzbekistan, will make it possible to connect the New Northern and Southern policy of Seoul.

As the Uzbek expert noted, such an initiative will strengthen trade and economic ties between Uzbekistan and South Korea by creating new supply chains for products with high added value.

In general, the seminar made it possible to outline priority areas for the development of bilateral cooperation in such areas as digital government, the development of smart cities, the transition to green energy, the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and the modernization of the healthcare system, the expansion of educational exchanges and the establishment of platforms cooperation of the youth of the two countries, strengthening of humanitarian ties. As noted at the seminar, such an expansion of the agenda of Uzbek-South Korean relations allows us to look with optimism at the future of multifaceted cooperation between the two states.