1. Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan met with Elyer M. Ganiev, Uzbekistan’s Vice Prime Minister and
Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade, on February 10 for an exchange of
views on the state visit to Korea by President Islam A. Karimov scheduled for February 10-12 and on
Korea-Uzbekistan relations.
◊ Vice Prime Minister Ganiev is visiting Korea on February 3-12 ahead of the upcoming
Korean visit by President Karimov as head of the preparatory delegation.
2. Minister Yu noted that the forthcoming Korean trip by President Karimov, following President Lee
Myung-bak’s state visit to Uzbekistan in May 2009, will contribute considerably to substantializing the
Korea-Uzbekistan strategic partnership.
3. Vice Prime Minister Ganiev expressed gratitude for the preparations the Korean government is
making for President Karimov’s Korean trip, and showed satisfaction with remarkable development
of relations between the two countries in politics, economy, culture and various other sectors based
on solid friendship and trust between the leaders of both countries.
4. Minister Yu Myung-hwan extended appreciation to the Uzbek government for having already expressed
support to Korea on its bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and the 18th Conference of
the Parties (COP18) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2012 as
well as for its early decision to participate in the World Expo 2012 in Yeosu.
5. The two sides noted with satisfaction smooth progress of mutually-beneficial cooperative projects,
including the Surgil gas-field development, new mine explorations, and the establishment of a special
economic-industrial zone in Navoy, under close inter-governmental cooperation. They then agreed to
work closely together so that the agreements reached at the Korea-Uzbekistan Summit will make
headway without a hitch.
6. After the meeting, the two sides signed four arrangements on grant-aid projects: improvement of
medical care for patients with infectious diseases; improvement of the heat supply system; improvement
of drinking water supply; and development of techniques for salt reduction of collector-drainage water for
reuse. With the signing of the said arrangements, grant aid programs for Uzbekistan will be conducted to
contribute to both Uzbekistan’s economic and social development and Korea-Uzbekistan relations.
Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFAT
* unofficial translation