Korea and five Central Asian countries have formalized a high-level cooperation framework by agreeing to hold biennial summits. The cooperation will expand to include key minerals and energy supply chains, as well as transportation, logistics, manufacturing, artificial intelligence (AI), and science and technology.
The Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) analyzed the outcomes of the first summit held in Seoul on September 16 in its report titled 'Outcomes and Implications of the First Korea-Central Asia Summit,' released on September 22.
Korea, along with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, will hold these summits every two years. In the years when the summit does not take place, the existing Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum, which involves foreign ministers, will convene to review the implementation of agreements from the previous summit and prepare the agenda for the next one. A senior officials' meeting at the vice-ministerial level will be responsible for preparing the summit.
In the economic sector, a new ministerial council for industry has been established, and memorandums of understanding for industrial and supply chain cooperation have been signed. Each Central Asian government will set up a 'Korea Desk' to support Korean businesses, and discussions will be initiated to address non-tariff barriers. Regulatory cooperation in manufacturing sectors such as medical products and cosmetics, as well as collaboration in intellectual property, will also be expanded. Cooperation in urban development, production facilities, infrastructure construction, and agricultural technology, including seed, storage, mechanization, processing, and smart aquaculture, will be pursued.
In the key minerals sector, the focus will be on linking Central Asia's resources with Korea's advanced technology to promote mineral processing, local industrialization, scientific and technological cooperation, and the exchange of specialized personnel. In the energy sector, cooperation will extend beyond traditional energy sources like oil and gas to include hydropower, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and infrastructure modernization. In transportation and logistics, support will be provided for Korean companies' participation in the construction, modernization, and operation of Central Asian transportation infrastructure, along with the development of logistics hubs, including inland ports and customs infrastructure.
AI, science and technology, and climate and environmental issues have also been included as new areas of cooperation. Both sides adopted the 'Korea-Central Asia Future AI and Science and Technology Partnership Initiative' and agreed to expand policy and personnel exchanges in AI and science and technology. In the climate, energy, and environmental sectors, a multilateral cooperation framework will be established to address decarbonization, green transition, air quality improvement, water supply, and waste management.
KIEP researcher Kim Kyung-min stated, "This summit has established an institutional foundation for high-level multilateral cooperation. It has created a basis for addressing common regional issues at a multilateral level while allowing for bilateral cooperation tailored to individual countries' needs."
However, connecting the agreed-upon cooperation to actual projects remains a challenge. KIEP emphasized the need to categorize cooperation agendas in trade, investment, energy, key minerals, transportation, logistics, AI, and science and technology into short-term, medium-term, and long-term tasks, and to take follow-up actions based on the conditions and readiness for project implementation.
In particular, the development of infrastructure, energy, and key minerals requires long-term investment and substantial funding, making it crucial to establish a funding structure that links policy finance with international financial institutions. Kim noted, "Transforming the cooperation tasks discussed in summit diplomacy into concrete projects and establishing stable funding mechanisms will be the next steps."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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