President Lee Jae-myung will hold separate bilateral summits with the leaders of the five Central Asian countries, including Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, in Seoul for three days starting on the 14th, the presidential office said.
On this day, the president plans to further expand the horizon of cooperation with Uzbekistan through a summit with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who is on a state visit.
In addition, a total of 13 inter-ministerial agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) are scheduled for exchange.
In the evening, a state banquet will be held with about 50 figures from various sectors of the two countries in attendance. The menu will feature Korean cuisine that harmoniously reflects President Mirziyoyev's preferences and the characteristics of the two countries' food cultures and ingredients.
Starting with the talks with Uzbekistan on this day, the president will meet the leaders of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan on the 15th, and Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan on the 16th.
On the last day of the talks, on the 16th, the "1st Korea–Central Asia summit" will be chaired.
Through this summit, the president plans to elevate strategic cooperation with Central Asia, a key strategic hub, to the leaders' level. In addition, the plan is to lay the groundwork for mutually beneficial growth by combining Central Asia's growth demand with Korea's supply chain and market expansion strategy.
In particular, at the summit, the president will produce the "Seoul declaration," presenting a mid- to long-term vision. Immediately afterward, a "business summit" with businesspeople from the five countries will also be held.
Chief spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said, "By building a sustainable 'regional partnership' beyond one-off summit diplomacy, this will lead to tangible results in implementing the New Northern Policy and diversifying diplomacy," adding, "It is expected to secure the Central Asian countries' support on Korean Peninsula issues and to enhance the real safety of our people by strengthening cooperation to counter transnational crimes such as drugs, terrorism, and cybercrime."