President Lee Establishes 'Comprehensive Partnership' with Tajikistan... "Expanding Cooperation in Key Minerals and Railways"

Summit Held with President Rahmon, Visiting Korea for the First Time in 11 Years

“Strategic Hub Connecting Central and South Asia... Abundant Minerals and Young Population Drive Growth Potential”

Mutually Beneficial Cooperation in Railways,

On the 16th, President Lee Jae-myung held a summit meeting with President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan and agreed to advance bilateral relations to a "comprehensive partnership." The initiative aims to expand practical cooperation in the fields of railways, critical minerals, and digital industries by combining Tajikistan's geostrategic position—connecting Central and South Asia—and its abundant mineral resources with Korea's industrial and technological capabilities.

President Lee Jae-myung smiles during a summit meeting with Sadyr Japarov, President of Kyrgyzstan, held at the Blue House on the 16th. 2026.9.16 Photo by Yonhap News

During his opening remarks at the Korea-Tajikistan summit, held at the Blue House main building earlier that morning, President Lee stated, "Since establishing diplomatic ties in 1992, Korea and Tajikistan have steadily developed friendly cooperation." He added, "It is very meaningful that on the occasion of Your Excellency's visit to Korea, the first in 11 years, our countries are establishing a comprehensive partnership."

President Lee emphasized Tajikistan's geopolitical and economic potential. He noted, "For the Korean people, Tajikistan is recognized as the country of the Pamir Plateau, known as the 'roof of the world' for its majestic scenery," and described it as a strategic hub bridging Central and South Asia. He continued, "We are also deeply interested in Tajikistan's strengths and growth prospects, including its rich mineral resources and dynamic young population." He stressed, "As a reliable partner, Korea will actively cooperate in supporting Tajikistan's economic development."

President Lee specifically stated, "I hope that in the future, our two countries will further expand mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as railways, critical minerals, and digital industries." This message signals Korea's intention to broaden the scope of economic cooperation with Central Asia, focusing on diversifying critical mineral supply chains and collaboration in infrastructure and advanced industries.

President Rahmon also identified strengthening relations with Korea as a key direction of Tajikistan's foreign policy. He stated, "Deepening cooperation with Korea is one of the main priorities of Tajikistan's foreign policy," and added, "This summit is a good opportunity to discuss the current status and future outlook of bilateral cooperation."

Emphasizing the importance of political trust and inter-parliamentary diplomacy between the two countries, he said, "Next year marks the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Tajikistan," and highlighted, "Establishing a legal and institutional foundation is an essential step to elevate bilateral cooperation to a new level of partnership."

This is President Rahmon's first visit to Korea in 11 years. After concluding bilateral diplomacy with the Central Asian leaders, including the Korea-Tajikistan summit, President Lee is scheduled to hold the first Korea-Central Asia Summit with the leaders of five Central Asian countries in the afternoon, where they will discuss long-term cooperation plans in critical mineral supply chains, industry, and infrastructure.

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