President Lee Myung-bak said that he hopes that the key projects involving South Korean firms will make significant contributions to Uzbekistan’s economic development. During his congratulatory address to a forum of South Korean and Uzbek business leaders in Tashkent, Lee said the collaboration between the two nations will be a starting point to build a strong Uzbekistan economy.

During the forum, Lee and Uzbek President Islam Karimov watched via video a ceremony that marked the start of the joint projects that South Korean and Uzbek companies agreed to launch Tuesday to develop the Surgil gas field and build a gas chemical plant.

President Lee is currently on his three nation tour to Central Asia. Lee is scheduled to hold a summit with the president of Kazakhstan on Thursday.