CE: Central Asia visit yields fruitful results and opens up new opportunities for co-operation between Hong Kong and Central Asia (with photos/video)
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In the morning, Mr Lee visited IT Park Uzbekistan, an innovation technology park in Uzbekistan, and met with the First Deputy Minister of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan, Mr Ayubkhon Sultonov, to exchange views on strengthening co-operation between the two places in I&T and the digital economy. Uzbekistan has been actively promoting digital transformation through its "Digital Uzbekistan 2030" Strategy. IT Park Uzbekistan has now become a leading I&T hub in Central Asia, bringing together over 1 000 I&T enterprises and start-up teams covering areas such as software development, AI and digital trade. During the meeting, Mr Lee witnessed the exchange of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or the confirmation of intention to co-operate between IT Park Uzbekistan and Hong Kong Cyberport, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, and Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park to promote closer co-operation between the two places on various fronts, including start-up incubation, talent exchanges and joint research and development (R&D).
Mr Lee said that Hong Kong ranks fourth globally in digital competitiveness, and is home to five universities among the world's top 100 with world-class R&D capabilities. Hong Kong is pressing ahead with the development of the Northern Metropolis and its associated projects, including the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone and the Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster, for developing into an international I&T centre. He expressed confidence that Hong Kong will become a strategic gateway for Uzbek enterprises seeking to tap into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and international markets, while Hong Kong enterprises can also leverage Uzbekistan's vast talent pool and industrial strengths. He said he believes the MOUs will help establish closer and longer-term partnership between the two places in areas such as the digital economy and I&T development.
At noon, Mr Lee attended a luncheon hosted by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Uzbekistan, Mr Yu Jun. He thanked the Embassy for its continued support to the work of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and for making meticulous arrangements for the visit.
In the afternoon, Mr Lee visited the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan to learn about local efforts in cultural preservation, academic research and education promotion. The Center is the largest cultural, scientific and educational complex in Uzbekistan, showcasing the country's profound historical and cultural heritage. Mr Lee said that Hong Kong is actively developing into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, with world-class museums, rich and diverse arts and cultural activities, and a vibrant network for people-to-people exchanges. He expressed hope that Hong Kong and Uzbekistan will further strengthen co-operation in arts and culture, people-to-people exchanges and museum collaboration, and deepen friendship between the two places.
Mr Lee then attended a business exchange event hosted by the Government of Uzbekistan, where he met again with the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, Mr Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov. Mr Lee said at the event that Uzbekistan has actively promoted economic reforms and continuously improved its business environment in recent years, demonstrating enormous development potential. He said that Hong Kong, as an international financial centre, is equipped with a sound and well-regulated rule of law environment, a robust and transparent regulatory regime, and a highly open and internationalised business environment. Hong Kong can provide professional support for Uzbekistan's economic development needs and serves as an ideal platform to assist Uzbek enterprises in expanding their business. He said he looked forward to strengthening co-operation between the two places and laying a solid foundation in areas including capital markets connectivity, infrastructure financing and green finance, with complementary advantages and mutual benefit.
Mr Lee will later attend a dinner hosted by Mr Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov. Mr Lee thanked the Government of Uzbekistan for making thoughtful arrangements for the visit and expressed confidence that the two places will open up a new chapter of mutual benefits and win-win co-operation.
Concluding the visit, Mr Lee said that the Central Asia visit has yielded fruitful results. During the delegation's visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, achievements have been secured in eight areas:
(1) establishing high-level contacts and ties between the HKSAR Government and the Governments of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and reaching consensus on co-operation in multiple areas;
(2) the HKSAR Government and the two governments signed a total of 15 MOUs and agreements covering areas such as commerce, education and development projects. Beyond the government level, a total of 81 MOUs and agreements were concluded, covering such areas as trade and economic co-operation, investment, finance, technology and aviation. A total of 96 co-operation agreements and MOUs were reached during the visit, involving specific amounts exceeding US$1.65 billion in total;
(3) the governments agreed to commence bilateral discussions on agreements in various areas, including discussions with the Governments of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on comprehensive avoidance of double taxation agreements, negotiations on a bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement, and co-operation with the Government of Uzbekistan on customs clearance facilitation;
(4) deepening project matching and research collaboration between Hong Kong and Central Asian region in areas including finance, I&T, and aviation;
(5) demonstrating Hong Kong's effective role as a platform for going global and achieving substantial results, with Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises joining forces in tapping new markets and bringing synergistic advantages into full play;
(6) facilitating more convenient people-to-people exchanges by promoting direct flights, aviation and transport co-operation, and extensions to the mutual visa-free period;
(7) promoting exchanges in education, talent and culture to further deepen people-to-people bonds; and
(8) advancing a hub-to-hub co-operation model to open up broader room for co-operation between Hong Kong and the Central Asian region.
Mr Lee and the delegation will depart from Uzbekistan tonight and return to Hong Kong tomorrow afternoon (June 6).
Ends/Friday, June 5, 2026
Issued at HKT 20:30
Issued at HKT 20:30
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