The 17th “Central Asia – Republic of Korea” Cooperation Forum took place in Seoul, with the participation of Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu, El.kz cites MFA.
The forum addressed key areas of partnership between Central Asian countries and the Republic of Korea, focusing on sectors such as transport and logistics cooperation, energy collaboration, digital transformation, and environmental issues.
In his remarks, Minister Nurtleu emphasized the importance of transport connectivity for the region’s sustainable economic growth. Kazakhstan is actively developing the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route to ensure safe and efficient cargo transportation from Asia to Europe. The Kazakh Minister invited Korean companies to participate in major projects aimed at expanding the route’s capacity, planned to reach 10 mln tons per year by 2025. “Central Asia is becoming an important logistics hub connecting Asia and Europe through Kazakhstan,” Nurtleu underscored.
Addressing energy cooperation, Minister Nurtleu highlighted Kazakhstan’s abundant natural resources, including rare earth metals and uranium, which already supplies 40% of the global market. The Kazakh Foreign Minister expressed hope that Korean companies would join projects for resource extraction and processing and participate in a consortium to construct nuclear power plants, creating new prospects for regional energy security.
One of the priorities of Astana’s partnership with Seoul remains the advancement of the environmental agenda. Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister underscored the need for deeper collaboration on climate change and sustainable development, especially in water infrastructure modernization and renewable energy development. Kazakhstan also expressed its readiness to collaborate with the Republic of Korea on Aral Sea preservation, with a focus on water sector automation and digitalization.
In the digital transformation sphere, Kazakhstan ranks among the top 10 countries on the UN online services index. Minister Nurtleu invited Korean companies to work together on projects involving artificial intelligence, Big Data, and developing the region’s science and technology potential.
The forum highlighted the importance of cultural and tourism ties that strengthen people-to-people diplomacy. The Kazakh Minister invited Korean partners to invest in developing Kazakhstan’s tourism infrastructure, noting the growing mutual tourist flow between the two countries.
“Central Asian countries and the Republic of Korea are natural partners connected by a shared history, Altai heritage, and traditional trade relations dating back to the Silk Road era. In turn, the Republic of Korea is playing an increasingly vital role in the economic and technological development of the entire Central Asian region,” stated Minister Nurtleu.
The outcomes of the 17th Forum were consolidated in a Joint Statement, and the Forum Secretariat’s Work Plan for 2025 was approved. The Kazakh Foreign Minister expressed confidence that the new steps to strengthen multifaceted relations between Kazakhstan and the Republic of Korea would lay the groundwork for signing significant commercial agreements at the upcoming “Central Asia – Republic of Korea” Summit, set to take place next year.