Minister of Development of Information Technologies and Communications Khurshid Mirzakhidov and LG CNS Managing Director Park Jin-koog signed the agreement on establishing the NEEL.

The cost of the contract is 13.5 billion won (US$12.09 million.), the company said in a statement.

Lee Cheol, executive director of LG CNS Public Business Division, said: “We will be able to share our advanced information and communications technologies (ICT) with Uzbekistan by establishing the e-library system. We plan to expand our business in the country by taking part in establishing e-government foundations such as the ICT-based education system, national data center and new airport system.”

Within the NEEL project, South Korean company will create a digital library management system for National Library of Uzbekistan named after Alisher Navoi. Eximbank’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) will finance the project.

Under the deal, LG CNS said it will introduce a multimedia center, digitization center, e-library system and integrated library database. Once completed, 20 national libraries in Uzbekistan will be digitized and integrated to make their use more convenient, the company said.