BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. South Korea and Turkmenistan signed 13 agreements and memoranda covering investment, infrastructure, transport, customs, intellectual property and environmental cooperation.
This was reported by the press service of the President of the Republic of Korea on September 15, following a summit between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov in Seoul.
"The documents signed on this occasion cover areas such as enhancing cooperation in plant infrastructure and transportation; promoting institutional cooperation in areas such as investment protection, customs, intellectual property rights, and legal affairs; and cooperation in environmental and climate response sectors, including water resources and forestry," the report says.
The two sides also established an official cooperation channel between their security agencies for the first time and agreed to strengthen cooperation in security and justice, including efforts to combat transnational crime.
The leaders also agreed to expand cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, including youth and academic exchanges and cooperation between universities.
According to the report, the agreements and memorandums are expected to provide an important basis for further mutually beneficial cooperation between South Korea and Turkmenistan.
The two sides also agreed to strengthen cooperation in security and justice, including efforts to combat transnational crime. The leaders welcomed the establishment of the first official cooperation channel between the security agencies of the two countries.
They also exchanged views on regional and global issues, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula. President Serdar Berdimuhamedov reaffirmed Turkmenistan's support for South Korea's policy toward the Korean Peninsula, highlighting the countries' close cooperation at international platforms, including the United Nations, the press release noted.
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.
