Ganiev arrived in Seoule on Tuesday ahead of a three-day state visit by Uzbek President Islam Karimov set to start Wednesday.

"Vice Prime Minister Ganiev expressed gratitude for the South Korean government’s warm welcome extended to President Karimov while also expressing satisfaction over the great development of ties and cooperation between the countries in the political, economic and cultural sectors based on the friendship and trust of their leaders," the Foreign Ministry of Korea said of the Yu-Ganiev meeting.

The South Korean foreign minister noted President Karimov’s visit to Korea will further enhance the countries’ strategic partnership, forged in 2005 at a summit between the Uzbek president and then South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun.

President Lee and President Karimov will hold a summit in Seoul on Thursday.

Following their meeting at the foreign ministry, Yu and Ganiev signed four agreements, under which South Korea will provide assistance worth USUS$8.65 million to the Central Asian nation.

Seoul will build four water pumps in Uzbekistan’s northern Khorezm region before the end of the year under a US$1.5-million deal to help secure a safe drinking water source there, the ministry said.

The country will also provide US$3 million worth of support and supplies to help improve Uzbekistan’s ability to curb or eradicate contagious diseases.

"The total amount of our assistance for Uzbekistan this year alone will come to nearly US$12 million as the country is also set to send 57 volunteers while inviting nearly 100 Uzbek workers to come to South Korea for a training program," a ministry official told reporters.

Apart from the four agreements on economic cooperation, the countries also signed a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation that will lead to the establishment of a joint committee on the purchase of defense goods.