By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
President Lee Myung-bak will hold a summit with Uzbek President Islam Karimov at Cheong Wa Dae Feb. 11 on expanding economic ties between Korea and the Central Asian country, the presidential office announced Tuesday.
President Karimov and his wife will arrive in Seoul on Feb. 10 for a three-day state visit at the invitation of President Lee.
During the summit, Lee and Karimov will discuss the progress of joint projects to develop the Surgil gas reserves and modernize Navoiy Airport and other logistics infrastructure in Uzbekistan.
They will also discuss ways to increase bilateral strategic partnerships in the areas of agriculture, the environment, and culture and cooperation on global issues, Cheong Wa Dae said.
Lee visited Uzbekistan last May and proposed joint efforts to build a "New Silk Road," combining Uzbekistan's vast logistics and railway network with Korea's leading information technology.
The two governments also signed pacts to jointly develop energy resources, which Korea hopes will help secure stable energy supplies from the region.
It is Karimov's fifth visit to Korea as head of state. He was invited in February 2008 to attend Lee's inauguration ceremony in Seoul.
During his stay, the Uzbek President will meet with Prime Minister Chung Un-chan, National Assembly Speaker Kim Hyong-o, Strategy and Finance Minister Yoon Jeung-hyun and Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho.
jj@koreatimes.co.kr
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