Chief Executive John Lee met Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khodjaev today to exchange views on issues of mutual interest.

Welcoming Mr Khodjaev and his delegation to Hong Kong, Mr Lee remarked that economic and trade relations between Hong Kong and Uzbekistan have grown steadily in recent years, and that there is potential for the two places to explore further co-operation.

He outlined that Hong Kong enjoys the advantages of being closely connected both to the Mainland and the rest of the world under the “one country, two systems” arrangement, and of serving as a functional platform under the Belt & Road Initiative.

Uzbekistan has undergone significant infrastructure development, and Hong Kong firms and talent can be of use with regard to construction technologies and financing channels, Mr Lee said. 

The Chief Executive urged Uzbek enterprises to leverage Hong Kong’s highly internationalised and market-oriented business environment, and its professional services talent, to explore both the Mainland market and other markets overseas.

Stressing that Hong Kong is striving to establish itself as an international hub for post-secondary education, Mr Lee highlighted that it offers a scholarship to encourage students from Belt & Road countries and regions to study in the city.

He explained that the scholarship is aimed at attracting talent to Hong Kong, and invited more young Uzbeks to study in the city and develop their careers here, thereby bolstering bilateral ties between the two places.