BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. South Korean National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung Sik met with Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov in Seoul to discuss bilateral relations and parliamentary exchanges.
This was reflected in a press release published by the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea
The meeting took place on September 15 at the National Assembly during Berdimuhamedov's visit to South Korea to attend the first Korea-Central Asia Summit.
Cho welcomed the Turkmen president to the National Assembly and expressed hope that his visit would contribute to further development of bilateral relations.
The speaker also thanked Berdimuhamedov for his interest and support in ensuring the safe evacuation of South Korean citizens from Iran last year and this year.
Cho noted that Turkmenistan and South Korea have maintained high-level exchanges since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992, developing their ties as a mutually beneficial partnership.
He said bilateral trade had increased more than fivefold since Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov became the country's leader in 2007.
The speaker expressed support for Turkmenistan's Great Silk Road Revival initiative and said the National Assembly would actively support mutually beneficial cooperation based on South Korea's technological capabilities and Turkmenistan's natural resources.
Cho also welcomed the launch of direct flights between the two countries in July last year and called for continued support for expanding parliamentary exchanges.
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.
