Seoul: 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.

According to Yonhap News Agency, during the meeting, Chae referred to Uzbekistan as an "important partner" and expressed hopes that bilateral cultural exchange will broaden on the occasion of the upcoming Korea-Central Asia summit. The South Korean minister emphasized the potential for cultural cooperation in multiple areas, such as designating a year for mutual cultural exchange, initiating a joint library project, and expanding King Sejong Institutes for Korean language education.

In response, Nazarbekov proposed the launch of a joint working-level committee to discuss various exchanges in the culture sector. He emphasized the increasing reading population in Uzbekistan and highlighted the need for South Korea's interest and cooperation for international development in the area of libraries.

On Monday, the culture ministries of South Korea and Uzbekistan signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at deepening practical cooperation in tourism.