Shavkat Mirziyoyev

Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev (Russified forms also used: Шавкат Мираманович Мирзиёев, Shavkat Miramanovich Mirziyoyev; Шавкат Мирзияев, Shavkat Mirziyayev) (born 24 July 1957) is an Uzbek politician who has been Prime Minister of Uzbekistan since 2003. Previously he served as governor (Hakim) of Jizzakh Province from 1996 to September 2001, then as governor of Samarqand Province from September 2001 until his appointment as Prime Minister in 2003.

He was nominated as Prime Minister by President Islam Karimov on December 12, 2003 and approved by the Uzbek parliament. He replaced Prime Minister O‘tkir Sultonov. His deputy is Ergash Shoismatov.

South Korea-Uzbekistan ties

Mirziyoyev and Han Myeong Sook, the Prime Minister of South Korea, met in Tashkent on 25 September, 2006. They signed several agreements, including one deal in which Uzbekistan will send 300 tons of Uzbek uranium ore to South Korea every year from 2010 to 2014. The deal bypasses U.S. companies that acted previously as middlemen for South Korean imports of Uzbek uranium ore. Han also met with President Islam Karimov and parliament speaker Erkin Xalilov. Sook and Mirziyayev boosted cooperation in the energy, agriculture, construction, architecture, and information technology sectors. Trade between South Korea and Uzbekistan increased by nearly 40% between 2005 and 2006, to $565 million.