BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. Uzbekistan
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called on South Korean companies to
view Central Asia as a single investment market of more than 80
million people and invest in high-value manufacturing, technology
and infrastructure projects across the region.


This was reflected in the statement by the press service of the
Uzbek presidetnt.


Speaking at the first Central Asia-South Korea Business Summit
in Seoul, Mirziyoyev said cooperation should be built around the
complementary strengths of the region and South Korea, with a focus
on developing complete production chains rather than exporting raw
materials.


He highlighted Central Asia’s growing consumer demand as well as
its resource, energy and human capital potential, saying the region
could offer Korean companies a broad platform for investment.


Uzbekistan’s mineral resource base alone is estimated at at
least $3 trillion, while the country plans to implement 120
critical-minerals projects worth more than $4 billion in the coming
years.


Mirziyoyev proposed combining Central Asia’s resource base with
South Korean financial and technological capabilities to develop
deep processing and high-tech manufacturing.


“We propose to combine the region’s resource base with Korea’s
financial and technological capabilities, focusing not on the
export of raw materials, but on deep processing and the production
of finished high-tech products,” Mirziyoyev said.


He also highlighted opportunities for joint research and
technology development, proposing closer cooperation between Korean
companies, universities and research centers and their Central
Asian counterparts to develop new products and intellectual
property.


Artificial intelligence was identified as another major area of
cooperation. Mirziyoyev said AI could generate at least $10 billion
in additional value in each Central Asian economy over five
years.







Uzbekistan has established an AI data-center hub in
Karakalpakstan with preferential conditions and invited South
Korean companies to invest in the sector.


The president also pointed to opportunities in semiconductors
and microelectronics. A joint Center for Semiconductor, Industrial
Microelectronics and New Materials Design and Testing is being
established at the Future Technologies Center in Nurafshan.


Uzbekistan is prepared to provide conditions for Korean and
Central Asian companies to establish research divisions and
laboratories in the country, he said.


Biotechnology and pharmaceuticals were also highlighted as
promising areas. Uzbekistan’s pharmaceutical and medical-device
market has reached $3 billion, and Mirziyoyev proposed creating a
biopharmaceutical cluster combining research, clinical facilities
and manufacturing.


The president said workforce development should accompany
industrial cooperation, including a regional engineering training
program and internships for specialists at Korean laboratories and
advanced companies.


Uzbekistan is also inviting Korean companies to participate in
projects involving copper processing, electrical equipment,
automotive and electric-vehicle components, robotics and
automation, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, hydropower,
energy-storage systems, power-grid modernization, transport and
urban infrastructure.


The proposals form part of Uzbekistan’s broader effort to deepen
economic integration between Central Asia and South Korea through
investment, technology transfer, industrial cooperation and
higher-value production.