S. Korea, Uzbekistan discuss creating C5+Korea industry ministers' meeting

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Minister Kim Jung-kwan met with visiting Uzbek Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov at the Government Seoul Complex on Friday to discuss economic cooperation.

The two sides exchanged views on the need to establish a "C5+Korea Industry Ministers' Meeting" — a new forum for industrial cooperation between South Korea and the five Central Asian nations — on the sidelines of the first Korea-Central Asia Summit, scheduled for September.

The two sides also agreed to work closely to expand practical cooperation across a range of areas, including trade and investment, AI adoption in manufacturing, a business summit and the resolution of difficulties faced by companies.

Uzbekistan is seeking to join the World Trade Organization. The Trade Ministry said it plans to resume free trade agreement negotiations with Uzbekistan once the country completes its WTO accession.

Kim praised the "Korea Desk" recently established within Uzbekistan's Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade to support South Korean companies operating in the country, and asked that it be used to help resolve difficulties faced by Korean businesses there.

"Uzbekistan is a key partner of South Korea and an important economic partner in the Central Asian region," Kim said. "We will work closely together to ensure the Korea-Central Asia Summit in September serves as an opportunity to take economic cooperation between the two countries to the next level."