Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) – Akramjon Nematov, the First Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, expressed this opinion during the Forum of Analytical Centers of Central Asian Countries and the Republic of Korea in Tashkent.

According to him, the states of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea have real prospects of becoming key links in the emerging new architecture of global value chains. "We must fully recognize this and take advantage of the opportunities that arise," said Nematov.

Nematov emphasized the enormous untapped potential in the region. Central Asia, with its 80 million people growing at an annual rate of 2%, has a median age of 28 years. By 2050, the median age is projected to be 30 years, while the global average will be 36 years. Moreover, the level of education in the region is rising. In Uzbekistan alone, preschool education coverage has increased from 27% to 72%, and higher education coverage has risen from 9% to 42% since 2017.

The expert highlighted that the region possesses significant reserves of not only energy resources but also critical minerals such as molybdenum, zinc, lithium, tungsten, and cobalt, which are crucial for developing high-tech industries and transitioning to "green" development.

"Most importantly, the Central Asian states are now more politically consolidated, leveraging the complementarity of their economies, implementing joint industrial cooperation projects, and striving to effectively utilize their resource bases while actively developing transport corridors in the ‘North-South’ and ‘West-East’ directions," said Nematov.

It was noted that Central Asia is a vast consumer market, a growing pool of labor resources with steadily developing production potential, and a promising resource base. Thanks to this, the region is becoming a center of economic and investment activity. Over the past 10 years, the economy has grown at a rate of 6%, doubling the global average. The industry is growing significantly at 5%, and manufacturing is developing rapidly. These growth rates are expected to continue in the foreseeable future.

Overall, Nematov believes that joint efforts over the past seven years have increased regional GDP by almost 30%, foreign trade by more than twofold, and intra-regional trade by 4.4 times, with a growing influx of investments, especially in recent years. Since 2016, this figure has increased by 1.5 times—from US$27 billion to US$50 billion last year.

According to Nematov, a significant asset is Central Asia’s geostrategic location in the center of Eurasia. Active participation in integration associations in Eurasia, combined with a policy of openness and maintaining balanced and pragmatic relations with all external actors, contributes to turning the region into an important transregional transport, logistics, and production-technological hub of the global economy, a space of mutually beneficial cooperation based on principles of healthy competition.

In this context, Nematov outlined the importance of uniting efforts to build a new architecture of mutually beneficial cooperation oriented towards building a common future. 

The priority areas of cooperation identified by Nematov include:

1. Strengthening Strategic Dialogue and Mutual Trust: Enhancing the mutual support relationships and coordinating efforts to maintain peace, stability, and security in the regions of Central Asia and South Korea.

2. Developing Industrial Cooperation: Based on the transfer of South Korean technologies. Nematov expressed confidence that combining the human capital and natural resources of Central Asia with South Korean technologies and know-how could lead to accessing third-country markets with high value-added products. "We already have such experience. For instance, since 2020, Samsung has been producing seven refrigerator models at the Tashkent Technopark, which we export to Central Asian countries, Georgia, Mongolia, and Azerbaijan," noted Nematov.

According to him, "It is important to align our innovation and technological development programs. In this context, we support South Korea’s ‘New Growth Strategy 4.0’ and ‘National Advanced Technology Support Strategy’ and would like to be part of the second ‘Miracle on the Han River’."

Nematov emphasized that this would allow forming sustainable and secure production and logistics chains, enhancing technological sovereignty, and strengthening the economic security of our countries, guided by the concept of ‘friendshoring’.

In this context, the ISMI representative proposed establishing a Central Asia-Korea technological bridge, leveraging the capabilities of the Training and Practical Textile Technopark, the Scientific and Technological Center for Rare Metals and Alloys, the Design and Technology Center for Agricultural Machinery, and the Cooperation Centers in the field of construction and chemical technologies, created in Uzbekistan in collaboration with Korean partners.

Thirdly, to jointly participate in global value chains, it is necessary to develop transport and logistics cooperation.

According to Nematov, it is important to jointly develop projects for the implementation of digital technologies and modern corporate practices in the transport and logistics sector, modernize the customs control and monitoring system, improve airport infrastructure, create regional logistics centers, and more.

Fourthly, in the face of climate change, it is important to adapt our societies and economies to its negative impacts and increase their resilience.

The expert believes that the implementation of joint projects for the widespread adoption of renewable energy sources, modern resource-saving and environmentally friendly technologies, smart agriculture, and climate-resistant high-yield crops can play a special role here.

Fifthly, the development of human capital should become the backbone of our cooperation.

In particular, as the ISMI representative pointed out, this includes training personnel in the most in-demand specialties today, such as information technology, bioengineering, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, architecture, and urban planning, among others.

There is already positive experience in this direction. Today, branches of four South Korean universities—Inha, Bucheon, Ajou, and the Korean International University—are successfully operating in Uzbekistan.

During high-level negotiations in June of this year, agreements were reached on the creation of an institute based on the model of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, the opening of a "Center for Digital Technology and Artificial Intelligence Training" in partnership with the Korea Institute of Public Administration and the National Human Resources Development Institute.

"Training specialists of a new formation will give a powerful impetus to the development of strategic and innovative sectors of the economies of our countries," concluded Nematov.

Sixthly, the cultural and humanitarian factor plays an important role in deepening our cooperation. According to the expert, the numerous Korean diaspora living in Central Asian countries is an invaluable asset in this regard.

The Koreans in Central Asia, numbering over 300,000 people, serve as a "bridging link" and a reliable foundation for the special nature of relations between South Korea and the Central Asian countries. People of Korean nationality are an integral part of our multinational society, actively participating in all spheres of social and state life.

In this context, the ISMI representative proposed launching the practice of holding an annual "Korean Diaspora Forum in Central Asia" with the active support of national Korean cultural centers in the region.

He believes this will contribute to preserving the national identity of Koreans living in our region and further strengthening the bonds of friendship, good neighborliness, solidarity, and mutual understanding among our peoples.

"I am absolutely confident that in all these areas we will be able to purposefully and fruitfully cooperate with our Korean partners," concluded Nematov.

Let’s recall that the forum on the theme "Era of Change: Vision for Future Cooperation between Central Asia and the Republic of Korea," organized by the International Institute of Central Asia in collaboration with the Korean Foundation, was attended by representatives of expert-analytical and scientific-academic circles from Central Asia and the Republic of Korea.

The South Korean side was represented by the leadership and specialists of the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), the Korea Development Institute (KDI), the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements (KRIHS), the Korea Energy Economics Institute (KEEI), and the Korea Transport Institute (KOTI).

On the Central Asian side, participants included leaders and experts from the Institute of Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the International Institute of Central Asia, the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the National Institute for Strategic Initiatives under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Center for Strategic Research under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.