President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday that South Korea will step up support for young talents and startups in Uzbekistan, and foster bilateral exchanges in the field.

Yoon attended a dialogue with young entrepreneurs at the U-ENTER Entrepreneurship Innovation Center in Tashkent as part of his three-day state visit to Uzbekistan.

The center was established through the Korea International Cooperation Agency’s (KOICA) Official Development Assistance (ODA) program, worth US$5.5 million.

“The government will fully support the expansion of cooperation and exchange between startups and technical talents of both South Korea and Uzbekistan,” Yoon said.

Yoon stressed the importance of fostering new talents in advanced technology and vowed to provide support for the training of professionals through the KOICA’s youth programs.

“In the era of digital transformation, startups equipped with cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, will lead economic growth,” he said.

On Friday, Yoon
will hold talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to discuss ways on boosting bilateral economic ties.

In a written interview with Uzbek state news agency Dunyo, Yoon said the summit will focus on strengthening economic ties with Uzbekistan in areas such as mineral supply chains and cutting-edge technologies

He will wind up the weeklong trip to three-nation Central Asia tour, which also included visits to Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, and return home Saturday.

Source: Yonhap News Agency