Finance chief, Uzbek president discuss cooperation in infrastructure, critical minerals

By Kim Han-joo

SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in critical minerals and infrastructure, Seoul's finance ministry said Tuesday.

The talks took place in Samarkand on Sunday (local time), as Koo visited the Uzbek capital to attend a series of international meetings, including the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank, according to the Ministry of Finance and Economy.

During the talks, Koo emphasized the need for the two countries to expand cooperation in the bio industry, infrastructure projects, such as railways and airports, and critical supply chains, the ministry said.

Koo also called for opening more windows of opportunity for South Korean companies to make inroads into the Central Asian country through joint projects.

He further expressed hope that such cooperation would enable the two countries to jointly lead the development of high-tech industries as well as transportation and logistics across Central Asia, and achieve shared prosperity.

In response, Mirziyoyev said the two countries have maintained a special friendship since ancient times.

He expressed hope that bilateral trade and investment would further expand based on such ties, and called for active discussions to identify new cooperative projects and produce tangible results.