Uzbekistan, South Korea Eye Major Forums to Deepen Investment Ties

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan and South Korea are accelerating preparations for two high-stakes diplomatic and business gatherings set to shape bilateral trade and investment through the end of 2026.

TASHKENT — Senior trade officials from Uzbekistan and South Korea convened in Tashkent this week to synchronize implementation of agreements reached at the highest diplomatic levels and to map out the agenda for two forthcoming events that could significantly deepen economic ties between their nations.

Ilzat Kasymov, Deputy Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan, met with Bae Junghyeon, head of the Bureau of International Trade Relations at South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIR). The two officials focused specifically on ensuring the full and timely fulfillment of commitments made during prior high-level exchanges between the two governments.

The centerpiece of the discussions was the upcoming "Central Asia + Korea" Summit, scheduled for September 16–17 in Seoul. Both sides underscored the strategic importance of thorough preparation for the inter-regional gathering, which is expected to provide a platform for advancing multilateral cooperation between Korea and the five Central Asian states.

In parallel, Kasymov and Bae reviewed organizational preparations for the Uzbek-Korean Business Forum, a dedicated bilateral event to be held in Tashkent as part of the Fifth Tashkent International Investment Forum. The forum is designed to foster direct business contacts between entrepreneurs and companies from both countries, translating government-level commitments into concrete commercial partnerships.

The back-to-back scheduling of the Seoul summit and the Tashkent forum signals a coordinated diplomatic push by both governments to convert political goodwill into measurable economic outcomes before year's end.