By Yoon Sojung 

President Moon Jae-in had a telephone conversation with Uzbekistani President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Jan. 24. The two leaders discussed measures to develop the bilateral relationship and talked about working closely together on the successful hosting of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

President Moon expressed his deep condolences to the many Uzbekistani victims who lost their lives in a recent bus fire accident that took place in Kazakhstan on Jan. 18.  

He said that President Mirziyoyev’s official state visit to Korea last year served as a cornerstone to boost the long-lasting friendship that exists between the two countries. President Moon told his Uzbekistani counterpart to seek detailed measures to bolster bilateral cooperation, such as holding a meeting in February this year between the Korean and Uzbekistani deputy prime ministers for the economy.

President Moon told the Uzbekistani leader that the PyeongChang Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will offer a great opportunity for a peaceful resolution to North Korean nuclear weapons issues, and that they would help to build peace on the Korean Peninsula. He asked President Mirziyoyev and all Uzbekistani citizens to take an interest in and to support the upcoming international sporting event.

President Mirziyoyev told President Moon that Korean experts have begun to serve as advisors to the ministries of health and welfare and of labor and employment in Uzbekistan starting this January.

The Uzbekistani president said that such people-to-people exchanges and cooperation can serve as a bridge to deepen bilateral ties. Finally, he invited President Moon to pay a visit to Uzbekistan in the near future in order to deepen the strategic partnership that exists between Seoul and Tashkent.

arete@korea.kr