BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. South Korea and Turkmenistan agreed to expand cooperation on smart water management and water infrastructure modernization.
This was reflected in a statement by the press service of the President of the Republic of S. Korea on September 15.
According to the information, the sides plan to link Korean smart water management technologies with Turkmenistan's needs in modernizing water infrastructure and improving water resource management.
"The leaders of the countries agreed that “effective management of water resources and combating desertification are important national tasks” for Turkmenistan," the statement says.
Furthermore, the parties agreed to expand cooperation in the forestry sector by sharing reforestation experience and know-how in digital forest management based on information and communication technologies.
The sides will also work together to address climate change and desertification through the use of forest resources, the report said.
Meanwhile, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov is paying a state visit to South Korea and taking part in the first Central Asia-Republic of Korea Summit in Seoul on September 16-17. The summit brings together the leaders of South Korea and the five Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan - marking the first elevation of the Korea-Central Asia dialogue to the leaders’ level. Seoul has said the summit is intended to deepen regional cooperation and produce practical results for the participating countries.
For Turkmenistan, the summit is taking place alongside a state visit and bilateral negotiations with the South Korean leadership. During South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to Turkmenistan in June 2024, the two countries signed a memorandum aimed at strengthening cooperation in areas including the economy and investment, culture, education, communications and human exchanges. Turkmenistan also expressed support for Seoul's K-Silk Road initiative, which South Korea presented as its comprehensive strategy for expanding cooperation with the five Central Asian countries.
The current summit is therefore taking place against the backdrop of an effort by Seoul to elevate its cooperation with Central Asia to the leaders' level.
