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| Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, left, and President Moon Jae-in shake hands after signing a Joint Declaration on Special Partnership between the two countries during Moon's state visit to Uzbekistan in April 2019. / Courtesy of Embassy of Uzbekistan |
Address of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Uzbekistan to the Republic of Korea Vitaliy Fen to the readers of The Korea Times on the occasion of the 29th anniversary of Uzbekistan's Independence and the 28th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea.
It is my great pleasure to address dear readers of The Korea Times on the occasion of the 29th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the 28th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea.
Over the past three and a half years, under the leadership of the distinguished President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan has clearly seen a steady pace of development in all areas. An effective multilateral foreign policy has become an important factor in increasing export potential and expanding economic opportunities of Uzbekistan.
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| Uzbek Ambassador to Korea Vitaliy Fen |
As it was emphasized by the Esteemed President Shavkat Mirziyoyev the underlying idea of progressive reforms which are carried out in Uzbekistan is not people to serve the state bodies, but state bodies to serve the people. In fact, this idea is very similar to the Korean main concept, which defines the people as the true head of state.
The foundation for the development of bilateral relations between our states was laid on Dec. 30, 1991, when the Republic of Korea was among the first countries to recognize the Independence of Uzbekistan. Diplomatic relations were established on Jan. 29, 1992. Since that moment, an active political dialogue has been conducted between the two states, as evidenced by the 16 high-level meetings held over this 28-year period.
Regular dialogue between the leaders of the two countries, which has become one of the distinctive features of Uzbek-Korean relations, plays a key role in the consistent advancement and deepening of bilateral cooperation.
The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in, made his first state visit to this country in Nov. 22-24, 2017.
The historic state visit of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the Republic of Korea was comprehensively fruitful and identified new prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.
Special emphasis should be given to the reciprocal visit of President Moon Jae-in to Uzbekistan on April 18-21, 2019, which can rightly be called as historical and unique in spirit. All this is confirmed by signing the Joint Declaration on a special strategic partnership between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea.
As a result of the business forum with the participation of the two presidents, investment agreements amounting to $12 billion were signed. In general, the visit was assessed by both sides as a visit at the highest level.
During President Moon Jae-in's stay in Uzbekistan on April 20, the opening ceremony of the House of Korean Culture and Art was held with the participation of the two leaders together with their spouses. President Moon Jae-in said that "This center of friendship, peace and harmony will become a common home for the Korean diaspora in Uzbekistan, Korean expats working here and all Uzbek people. The House will connect our brotherly nations and countries that have a lot in common."
Among the main goals of the construction of the House is to create favorable conditions for the preservation of the cultural heritage, traditions and art of the Korean diaspora in Uzbekistan, as well as to familiarize representatives of other nations and people of Uzbekistan with them.
The colorful concert program held at the Palace of International Forums in Tashkent in honor of the distinguished guest with the participation of domestic artists, members of centers of Korean culture and creative teams from South Korea became another embodiment of friendship and cultural cooperation between our countries.
This year, the main event in bilateral relations was the telephone conversation on April 13 between the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in.
During the telephone talk, the Heads of State in a traditionally friendly and warm atmosphere thoroughly discussed current issues of further strengthening bilateral relations of special strategic partnership and expanding multifaceted cooperation, primarily in the fields of trade and economy, and exchanged views on some problems of the regional and international agenda.
Special attention was given to the continuation of interaction and joint efforts in the fight against the spread of coronavirus infection.
The leader of Uzbekistan sincerely thanked President Moon Jae-in for the practical assistance provided in countering the pandemic. Since the end of March of this year for about two months in our country, Korean professors — epidemiology specialist Choi Jae-wook and anesthesiologist-resuscitator Yoon Seung-zhoo — have been actively working and sharing their skills. In accordance with the Decree of the President of Uzbekistan, "On rewarding citizens of foreign states and compatriots living abroad in connection with the 29th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan," Choi Jae-wook was awarded with the Salomatlik Order of the First Degree.
The leaders of Uzbekistan and South Korea firmly emphasized their commitment to expand practical cooperation and effective implementation of the best practices of Korean medicine in our country, including in organizing quarantine measures, diagnosing and treating diseases, conducting rehabilitation programs, and improving the qualifications of medical personnel. An agreement was reached on close coordination of actions and operational interaction between the ministries of health and leading medical centers of the two countries.
This year, projects for the establishment of a Children's Multidisciplinary Medical Center in Tashkent and the Uzbek-Korean International University in Fergana have been successfully implemented, creating about 1,000 new jobs.
The construction of the Innovative Scientific and Production Pharmaceutical Cluster in the Zangiata district of the Tashkent region, which was kicked off by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on April 17 of this year, is under full progress. The project also entails the creation of a Pharmaceutical Technical University, as well as a modern production of medicines.
On Sept. 24, 2019, the grand opening ceremony of the Textile Training and Research Technopark took place in Tashkent on the territory of the Tashkent Institute of the Textile and Light Industry. The project is implemented by the Uztekstilprom Association together with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea.
Such fields as innovation and ICT, mechanical engineering, chemical, pharmaceutical, light, electrical and jewelry industries, agriculture, education and healthcare were identified as promising spheres.
Within the framework of financial and technical assistance programs through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Economic Development Fund, 17 projects worth over $750 million are being implemented, including the construction of a Center for Chemical Technologies, a medical clinic for adults, equipping medical institutions and educational institutions of Uzbekistan.
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| Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade Sardor Umurzakov discusses the status quo of bilateral economic cooperation with Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki at the Seoul Government Complex in Seoul, July 6. / Courtesy of Embassy of Uzbekistan |
It is noteworthy that the first foreign delegation that the Republic of Korea has received since the start of the coronavirus pandemic was a delegation from the Republic of Uzbekistan. This once again confirms the special level of strategic partnership relations and the desire of the two countries to further strengthen them.
During the visit, meetings were held with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Hong Nam-ki, Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha, Minister of Industry, Trade and Energy Sung Yun-mo, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Kim Sang-hee, Eximbank Chairman Bang Mun-kyu, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) President Lee Mi-kyung and heads of leading companies in Korea.
During the meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Korea Hong Nam-ki, the current economic cooperation between the two countries, including 90 new joint investment projects, were analyzed and further tasks to expand bilateral cooperation were identified.
During the dialogue, the special strategic nature of relations between Korea and Uzbekistan was repeatedly emphasized, and it was also noted that the common priority of the parties is the complete, high-quality and timely implementation of the agreements reached during mutual visits at the highest level.
Special gratitude was expressed for the decision of the Government of Korea to provide grant support for the implementation of the "COVID-19 Emergency Response Program" in Uzbekistan, amounting to $5 million, which entails the provision of technical assistance in the areas of healthcare and social support of the most vulnerable segments of the population.
Uzbekistan's firm intentions were announced to support the New Northern Policy pursued by the President of Korea and provide comprehensive assistance in the implementation of promising projects within the framework of this initiative.
On a mutual basis, the initiative was supported to develop, together with the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Korea, a new three-year program of financial and technical cooperation between Uzbekistan and Korea for 2021-2023 with an increase in its budget to $1 billion.
Moreover, Korean side declared its readiness to support the implementation of new projects jointly with Eximbank Korea and the Economic Development and Cooperation Fund (EDCF) by accelerating the relevant procedures and processes, as well as promoting a number of new projects planned for implementation with the participation of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
The tangible support of the Korean side in matters of bilateral cooperation in the framework of accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) was highlighted, in particular, due to the practical assistance of the Chairman of the Working Group on Uzbekistan's WTO Accession — Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Korea in Geneva, as well as close cooperation with the Korean Institute for International Economic Policy regarding research on the impact of Uzbekistan's accession to the WTO. It is noted that the entry of Uzbekistan into the Organization and its integration into the multilateral global trading system will open up new opportunities for further increases in the volume of mutual trade.
In addition, it was announced that the Government of Korea is ready to fully support the measures taken in Uzbekistan to reduce the negative consequences of the Aral Sea ecological disaster, in connection with which the issue of allocating funding to support the activities of the Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Human Security in the Aral Sea region will be considered.
As a result of the meetings and negotiations, the parties reached an agreement on all issues on the agenda.
Interparliamentary cooperation plays an important role, which helps to raise the relations between our countries to an even higher level. The first foreign visit of the parliamentary delegation led by Tanzila Narbaeva, Chairwoman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis (Parliament) of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in August 2019, is an example of this.
Further strengthening of cooperation between the two countries is facilitated by consistently developing cultural and humanitarian ties, especially in the areas of education, medicine, tourism and sports.
The Seoul Park in Tashkent, effectively functioning since 2014, the Korean House of Culture and Arts, which was built in Tashkent with the support of the Government of the Republic of Korea, as well as the renaming of one of the streets in Tashkent in honor of Seoul are vivid examples of cooperation in this field, as a symbol of special relations between the two countries.
The Korean diaspora in Uzbekistan, one of the largest in the world, plays an important role in strengthening friendly relations between our two countries. In 2017 the Korean diaspora celebrated the 80th anniversary of their residing on the hospitable Uzbek land that became their second motherland.
Relations are developing dynamically in the sphere of education. The universities of our country are cooperating with more than 30 scientific research institutions of South Korea. Centers of Korean language and culture are opened in a number of educational institutions. Additionally, the Korean language is taught at the Uzbek State University of World Languages, the Tashkent State Institute of Oriental Studies and the Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages. Successful activity of Inha University in Tashkent since 2014 is an eloquent example of the prospects of partnership in the field of education. At present, Uzbekistan has branches of six Korean universities that train highly qualified specialists in the field of information technology, engineering, medicine and logistics at the level of international standards.
Within the framework of establishing close ties at the municipal level, the relationships between Tashkent and Seoul, Fergana and Incheon, Samarkand and Gyeongju, Yangiyul and Yangsan as well as many other cities are becoming stronger day by day.
All-in-all, over the past 28 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Tashkent and Seoul have forged a genuine strategic partnership and currently are closely cooperating with each other in further advancing multifaceted cooperation in various fields and strengthening mutually beneficial bilateral relations that serve the interest of the two countries and their nations.
In conclusion, taking this opportunity, I would like to wish to the esteemed readers of this reputed newspaper every success in all their endeavors, longevity and well-being.
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