SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- The culture ministers of South Korea and Uzbekistan held talks Tuesday to discuss ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in areas including libraries and tourism.
The meeting between Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young and his Uzbek counterpart, Ozodbek Ahmadovich Nazarbekov, was held in Seoul.
During the meeting, Chae called the central Asian country an "important partner" and expressed hopes that bilateral cultural exchange will broaden on the occasion of the upcoming Korea-Central Asia summit, according to Chae's office.
"I anticipate cultural cooperation in various areas, including the designation of a year for mutual cultural exchange, pushing for a joint library project and expanding King Sejong Institutes for Korean language education," the South Korean minister was quoted as saying.
In response, Nazarbekov called for launching a joint working-level committee to discuss various exchanges in the culture sector.
"Because the reading population is on the rise in Uzbekistan, we need South Korea's interest and cooperation for international development in the area of libraries," he was quoted as telling Chae.
On Monday, the culture ministries of the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on deepening practical cooperation in tourism.
South Korean Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young (R) and his Uzbek counterpart, Ozodbek Ahmadovich Nazarbekov, shake hands during their meeting in Seoul on Sept. 15, 2026, in this photo provided by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)