SEOUL, Sept. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held summit talks with his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, on Monday and expressed hope that the two countries will further deepen their bilateral strategic partnership for mutual prosperity.
The summit was held in the run-up to Seoul's hosting of the inaugural South Korea-Central Asia Summit on Wednesday that will bring together the heads of state of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to discuss cooperation.
Mirziyoyev was the first visiting president from the region to hold bilateral talks with Lee ahead of the multilateral summit
"Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992, South Korea and Uzbekistan have built solid cooperative ties in various fields ranging from politics and the economy to the social and cultural fields," Lee said, highlighting Uzbekistan as the only Central Asian nation with which Seoul has a special strategic partnership.
He called Uzbekistan South Korea's "precious friend and a key partner."
"I hope that the two countries, based on their accumulated deep friendship and trust, will develop their special strategic partnership more fully and march together toward mutual prosperity and peace," the South Korean president said.
The president cited traffic, infrastructure, healthcare, critical mineral supply chains, artificial intelligence and the defense industry, among others, where the two countries could work together to expand cooperation in a mutually beneficial way and generate future growth.
Lee highlighted the important roles the two countries could play in dealing with increasing global security uncertainties, adding that bilateral cooperation would also greatly help ensure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (R) and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev shake hands during their summit talks in Seoul on Sept. 14, 2026. (Yonhap)
President Mirziyoyev said Uzbekistan has special affection for South Korea and its people, saying the two countries' peoples share similar sentiments and traditions.
The two countries, in particular, share common challenges and priorities, the Uzbek president noted, citing public well-being as their common principle and saying this binds the countries together.
He also highlighted the thriving bilateral partnership in the economy and the international community, saying Uzbekistan will unwaveringly support Seoul's efforts to build peace and stability on the peninsula.
"As history has proved, our bilateral ties do not falter with political changes. We have continued to maintain equal, mutually beneficial and friendly ties," he said, expressing hope that his ongoing visit to South Korea will serve as an opportunity to inject new momentum into their special strategic partnership.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (3rd from R) and his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoyev (2nd from L), hold summit talks in Seoul on Sept. 14, 2026. (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)