On July 6 this year, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan discussed financial and technical cooperation, as well as its expansion in the near future with the President of the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in Seoul.

During the dialogue, the Uzbek side noted the Agency’s significant contribution to socially significant initiatives in Uzbekistan. ­­ After opening of the KOICA office, the Republic implemented 31 projects worth USD 107 million, organized more than 2 thousand internships for Uzbek specialists in Korea and the visit of more than 500 expert volunteers to the country involved in healthcare, education, information technology, utilities, agriculture and water, energy and transport.

The parties emphasized the active nature of the current cooperation. These days, the Republic implements 7 projects worth USD 30 million under the Partnership Strategy for 2016 - 2020. It is expected to launch 3 new projects worth USD 27.5 million in the second half of this year in such priority areas as education, healthcare, water management and public administration.

Besides, the consistent joint work on the implementation of the medium-term Program for 2020-2022 signed between the MIFT and KOICA during the state visit of the President of Korea to Uzbekistan in April last year, provided the approval of 5 projects totalling USD 45.5 million.

Here, the parties discussed a number of issues on the successful and timely implementation of the planned projects. For example, they agreed to attract Korean specialists through grant funds to successfully operate the Super Speciality Children's Medical Center in Tashkent launched in May this year, as well as other ongoing projects in the healthcare sector.

The parties also negotiation on prospects to implement the Program for the Integrated Further Training of Medical Workers of Uzbekistan in 2021-2024 together with the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) providing the organization of training programs in quality systems for medical care and patient safety.

Separately, they discussed promising mechanisms to accelerate the joint development of a number of other projects approved by the Agency, including the creation of the Center of Occupational Training in Urgench and the National Qualification System worth USD 14 million, as well as the creation of a network of business incubators and stimulation of entrepreneurship growth in Uzbekistan worth USD 5.5 million. Moreover, these projects will focus not only on the provision of professional education to young specialists, but on their further employment too.

The parties also agreed on KOICA's assistance in attracting leading Korean companies to joint projects in Uzbekistan using advanced Korean experience and technologies.

In general, the parties noted the importance of further deepening of cooperation and agreed on the need to gradually transit from the implementation of individual projects to the joint implementation of integrated solutions focused on sustainable systems in priority areas.

After the meeting, the parties agreed on further steps to deepen KOICA's cooperation with Uzbekistan and agreed to intensify joint work thereto.