South Korea to host inaugural Central Asia Summit in Seoul

South Korea will host the inaugural Korea-Central Asia Summit in Seoul next week, bringing together the heads of state from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. The summit aims to elevate cooperation from the ministerial level to a multilateral leadership framework, culminating in the adoption of the ‘Seoul Declaration’ to establish a long-term partnership.

Key objectives of the summit include diversifying global supply chains by linking Central Asia’s abundant energy and critical mineral resources with South Korea’s advanced exploration and processing technologies. Discussions are also expected to cover cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital industries, infrastructure, and climate change response, as well as addressing transnational crimes such as terrorism and cybercrime.

President Lee Jae-myung noted that the region serves as a geopolitical center of the Eurasian continent. He emphasized that the summit would provide momentum for South Korea’s ‘New Northern Policy’ and create a new economic and cultural silk road connecting to Europe and the Middle East. Ahead of the main summit, President Lee is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with the visiting leaders.