First Korea–Central Asia Summit in Seoul to Be Chaired by President Lee

President Lee Embarks on Central Asian Diplomacy
State Visit by Uzbek President on the 14th
Talks on Cooperation in Core Minerals, Energy, and Infrastructure
First Korea–Central Asia Summit to Be Held on the 16th
Meeting with ADB President Also Scheduled

President Lee Jaemyung will hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of five Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—starting on September 14. On September 16, he will preside over the first multilateral summit attended by the leaders of all five countries. President Lee plans to expand cooperation with these countries in core mineral and energy supply chains, as well as in advanced industries. In particular, the "Seoul Declaration," reflecting a vision for medium- and long-term partnerships with Central Asia—which has gained strategic significance amid the global supply chain reorganization—will also be adopted.

Yonhap News Agency

According to the Office of the President, before the summit, President Lee will begin a series of bilateral meetings by holding a summit with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who is on a state visit to Korea. President Lee and the First Lady will host an official welcome ceremony for President Mirziyoyev and his wife at the Great Garden of the Office of the President that afternoon, sign the guest book, pose for commemorative photos, and then proceed with a small group meeting followed by an expanded meeting. After the talks, various agreements and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) will be signed, and a state dinner will take place.

The two leaders are expected to focus on ways to expand economic and industrial cooperation in key sectors such as core minerals, energy, and transportation and infrastructure, based on the "Special Strategic Partnership" established in 2019.

On September 15, President Lee will hold state summits with the Presidents of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. On the morning of September 16, he will have bilateral meetings, in succession, with the Presidents of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, who will be on official visits to Korea. The leaders of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan are visiting as state guests, while the leaders of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are making official visits.

The highlight of this diplomatic engagement is the "1st Korea–Central Asia Summit," to be held on September 16 in Seoul. The theme of the summit is "The Direction of Korea–Central Asia Cooperation and Partnerships for Enhancing Innovation, Prosperity, and Connectivity." This marks the first time the Korean government is hosting a multilateral summit at the leaders’ level with all five Central Asian countries. The summit is significant in that it upgrades the previously ministerial-level cooperation system, based on the "Korea–Central Asia Cooperation Forum" launched in 2007, to the leaders’ level. The government’s plan is not to make this a one-off summit, but to establish a sustainable multilateral cooperation system with Central Asia.

After the summit, President Lee, together with the five Central Asian leaders, will attend the "Korea–Central Asia Business Summit." Around 500 participants including government officials and business representatives will build networking platforms for economic cooperation and discuss strategies for investment and business collaboration by country. The Office of the President described this summit as "an important starting point for broadening our diplomatic horizon into Central Asia, a region that has gained growing strategic significance amid global uncertainty."

Meanwhile, President Lee received Kanda Masato, President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), at the Office of the President that morning. President Kanda was recently confirmed for a new five-year term by unanimous support from ADB member countries and will begin his new term in November.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.