By Lee Tae-hoon
Staff Reporter

Korea will provide $12 million in aid to Uzbekistan this year in line with its effort to boost the two countries' strategic partnership, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Yu Myung-hwan signed four agreements on economic assistance for the Central Asian nation with his Uzbek counterpart Elyer Ganiev at the ministry in Seoul, Wednesday.

Uzbek President Islam Karimov arrived in Seoul Wednesday evening for a summit with President Lee Myung-bak, Thursday.

Under the agreements, Seoul will provide $8.65 million worth of support and supplies to Uzbekistan on top of its current annual assistance budget of some $3 million.

``The total amount of Korea's assistance to Uzbekistan this year alone will stand at $12 million, should it include the funds set for sending 57 volunteers there, inviting 97 Uzbek workers to Korea on a training program and supporting non-governmental organizations,'' a ministry official said.

Seoul will provide $3.5 million to improve and replace the heating system of the government buildings in Uzbekistan's northern Khorezm region, and $3 million to help the country fight against contagious diseases.

Korea will also offer $1.5 million to build four water pumps in Khorezm to help secure safe drinking water there and $650,000 to develop a solution for recycling salty irrigation water.

Apart from the four agreements, Korea also signed a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation that calls for the establishment of a joint committee on the purchase of defense equipment.

Ganiev, who also serves as vice prime minister, arrived here last week ahead of Uzbek President Karimov's three-day state visit.

Vice Prime Minister Ganiev expressed gratitude for the Korean government's warm welcome extended to President Karimov and expressed satisfaction over the great development of ties and cooperation between the countries in the political, economic and cultural sectors based on the friendship and trust of their leaders, the ministry said.

Yu noted that Karimov's visit will further strengthen the two countries' diplomatic ties in becoming strategic partners. The last summit between the two nations was held in 2005 between President Karimov and then Korean President Roh Moo-hyun.

leeth@koreatimes.co.kr