(Photo : President Lee Myung-bak (left) shake hands with Uzbek President Islam

Karimov at the media conference on Monday (May 11) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. )

President Lee Myung-bak on Monday (May 11) proposed a joint project titled a "New Silk Road" with Uzbekistan.

By carrying out the joint project backed by Korea''s advanced IT technology and Uzbekistan''s vast logistics and railway networks, President Lee said Korea and Uzbekistan will be able to open the era of a New Silk Road in the 21st century.

At Monday''s summit talks, Lee and Uzbek President Islam Karimov agreed to construct a win-win cooperation partnership by linking Korea''s advanced technology and Uzbekistan''s abundant energy resources, while stressing the importance of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

President Lee said Korea agreed to actively support energy cooperation with Uzbekistan and help Uzbekistan''s process of industrialization.

At Monday''s summit, Seoul and Tashkent signed a total of 16 deals regarding joint exploration projects and drilling of new oil fields in Uzbekistan. Korea secured five new gas fields and oil reserves.

At the business forum later Monday, President Lee said the New Silk Road initiative will also act as an economic boost for Uzbekistan. More than 100 Korean corporate executives and 60 Uzbek business leaders attended the forum.

 (Photo : President Lee Myung-bak (right) addresses at the University of World Economy and

Diplomacy on Monday (May 11) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. )

While meeting with Uzbek business people, President Lee suggested that Korea and Uzbekistan should open the era of the New Silk Road in the 21st century by combining Korea''s advanced IT technology and Uzbekistan''s geographical advantage as a bridgehead for business in Central Asia.

President Lee later visited the University of World Economy and Diplomacy to receive an honorary doctor''s degree and addressed Uzbek youth, urging them to become leaders of the New Silk Road era. Afterwards, Lee also visited the Monument of Independence to lay flowers.

In Samarkand on Tuesday, President Lee looked around cultural remains, historic sites and Afrosiab Museum in the ancient city. Afrosiab Museum has a wall painting that depicts envoys from Korea''s Goguryeo Dynasty (37 B.C. - A.D. 668), showing Korea''s active exchanges with Central Asia at the time.

Lee was accompanied by President Karimov, who was born in the city.

Located on the Silk Road linking Europe and Asia, Samarkand was once the center of cultural exchange between the East and West. This city was the capital of the Timurid Dynasty, which ruled Central Asia and the Arab world in the late 14th and 15th centuries.

After looking around Samarkand, Lee attended a luncheon hosted by Karimov and left for Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, the second destination of his trip to Central Asia.