Deputy PMs from S. Korea, Uzbekistan hold meeting in Seoul

Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yun-cheol, right, shakes hands with his Uzbek counterpart, Jamshid Khodjaev, at a meeting held in Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Ministry of Economy and Finance

Deputy prime ministers of South Korea and Uzbekistan held a meeting in Seoul on Monday and discussed bilateral economic partnerships, the finance ministry said.

The meeting, which marks the sixth of its kind and the first to take place since the start of the Lee Jae Myung administration, came ahead of the South Korea-Central Asia summit slated for next year, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said in a press release.

Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Koo Yun-cheol said the two countries have been expanding partnerships beyond infrastructure to future industries, including science, health care and climate change.

In response, Uzbekistan's Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev agreed to strengthen existing partnerships and work with South Korea on future infrastructure projects.

The two economy leaders also agreed to support Uzbekistan's accession to the World Trade Organization, the ministry added.