BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. The heads of state of Central Asian countries and the Republic of Korea signed the Seoul Declaration following the first Central Asia - Republic of Korea Summit held in Seoul on September 16.
According to the press service of the President of Kyrgyzstan, the signing ceremony was attended by President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae Myung.
"Today, September 16, following the Central Asia – Republic of Korea Summit, the heads of state signed the Seoul Declaration," the statement said.
In the declaration, the sides emphasized the importance of further deepening mutually beneficial cooperation and welcomed the elevation of the Central Asia – Republic of Korea cooperation format to the summit level. The leaders also agreed to hold such summits regularly once every two years.
In the economic sphere, the sides agreed to expand practical cooperation in trade and investment, including the development of sustainable supply chains, diversification of trade, and expansion of the range of goods traded between the sides.
The leaders also welcomed the establishment of a consultative mechanism of industry ministers in the C5+1 format and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in industry and supply chains between the Republic of Korea and the five Central Asian countries.
Particular attention was paid to attracting investment in the textile and light industries, technological cooperation, and the development of value chains.
The sides also expressed interest in cooperation in the field of critical minerals in Central Asia, including combining the region’s resource potential with the Republic of Korea’s advanced technologies, developing processing capacities, localizing production, and creating joint production chains for high-value-added products.
In the energy sector, the leaders noted the strategic nature of cooperation in the oil and gas and petrochemical industries and expressed interest in implementing joint projects on deep natural gas processing, modernization of energy infrastructure, as well as the development of hydropower and renewable energy sources.
In addition, the sides agreed to facilitate the participation of Korean companies in the construction, modernization, operation and management of transport infrastructure in Central Asia, as well as the development of digital and multimodal transport systems.
The declaration also provides for expanded cooperation in agriculture, including seed production, storage, mechanization, processing and the introduction of modern technologies.
In the digital economy, the sides expressed interest in cooperation on the digital transformation of industry, agriculture, public services and other sectors, as well as in the development of artificial intelligence, science, technology and innovation.
The leaders also emphasized the importance of supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and startups, including in the fields of artificial intelligence, information technology and environmentally friendly industries.
Kazakhstan expressed its readiness to host the second Central Asia – Republic of Korea Summit in Astana in 2028, a proposal supported by the other participating countries.
