President Yoon visits three Central Asian countries… Promoting the ‘K-Silk Road’ initiative

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President Yoon visits three Central Asian countries… Promoting the ‘K-Silk Road’ initiative

State visit to Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan from the 10th to the 15th.

Reporter nameReporter Nam Gi-woong, Mobile Reporting Department
Entered 2024.06.10 18:15

K-Silk Road, a blueprint for a leap forward in cooperative relations with Central Asia that connects Asia and Europe

[Mobile Reporter Nam Ki-woong] President Yoon Seok-yeol and his wife received official invitations from Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan from the 10th to the 15th to visit the three Central Asian countries. left the country to visit.

Through this visit, President Yoon will strengthen supply chain cooperation with resource-rich Central Asian countries and promote the ‘K-Silk Road’ initiative in earnest.

K-Silk Road is the third regional strategy announced by the Yoon Seok-yeol government following the ‘Indo-Pacific Strategy’ and the ‘Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative’, taking cooperation with the Central Asian region connecting Asia and Europe to the next level. It contains a blueprint for doing so.

Kim Tae-hyo, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office of the President’s Office, said, “The President’s trip to Central Asia includes visits to three countries among the five Central Asian countries that have great potential in terms of economy and population, have close relationships with us, and where Korean companies are actively operating. “We do it,” he emphasized.

First, the president and his wife will visit Turkmenistan for two days and one night from the 10th to the 11th. President Yoon’s visit to Turkmenistan is the third summit visit since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1992.

President Yoon arrived in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, on the afternoon of the 10th and held a summit meeting with President Serdar Berdymuhamedov to discuss ways to expand cooperation between Korea and Turkmenistan.

In addition, after the meeting, there will be a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony and a joint media announcement.

Next, the president and his wife plan to lay flowers and plant a tree at the Turkmenistan Independence Monument, and in the evening, attend a state banquet hosted by President Berdimukhamedov and his wife.

The next morning, President Yoon delivered a keynote speech at a business forum attended by companies from both countries, and had a separate meeting with former President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, father of current President Berdimuhamedov and Supreme Leader and Chairman of the People’s Council of Turkmenistan. has

In addition, we will conclude our schedule in Turkmenistan after a friendly lunch with Supreme Leader and Chairman of the People’s Council Berdimukhamedov and his wife.

Deputy Minister Kim said, “Through this state visit, we plan to deepen our relationship with the President and Supreme Leader of Turkmenistan and have in-depth discussions on ways to elevate cooperation between the two countries to a new level.”

He continued, “In particular, concrete plans to expand the advancement of Korean companies in the energy and plant fields will be discussed,” and “In addition, we will also discuss ways to expand the horizon of cooperation to more diverse fields such as shipbuilding, health care, and education.” “He added.

Next, the President and his wife will make a state visit to Kazakhstan for 3 days and 2 nights from the 11th to the 13th.

The President and his wife arrived in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, and held a meeting with our Korean compatriots and citizens living abroad.

Next, a friendly dinner will be held with President Tokayev.

The official schedule for the state visit is scheduled for the next day, the 12th. The president and his wife will lay a wreath at the Kazakh National Appreciation Monument in the morning and then move to the Presidential Palace to attend the official welcome ceremony.

Afterwards, President Yoon plans to hold a summit meeting with President Tokayev to discuss ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.

President Yoon and President Tokayev held a summit meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September last year, and this state visit marks the second meeting between the two leaders.

After the summit, there will be an MOU signing ceremony and a joint press release, and then the president and his wife will attend a state luncheon hosted by President Tokayev.

In the afternoon, he will attend the Korea-Kazakhstan Business Forum, where President Yoon is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech after chatting with business leaders from both countries.

Next, the President and his wife will watch a cultural performance by performance groups from both countries with President Tokayev and conclude their schedule in Kazakhstan.

Deputy Minister Kim said, “Through this state visit, the President and President Tokayev will expand supply chain cooperation in key mineral fields such as lithium and uranium between the two countries, and discuss cooperation measures between Korea and Kazakhstan that will create synergies in each other’s industrial development and economic security. “We will discuss it,” he explained.

The state visit to Uzbekistan will be held for 3 days and 2 nights from June 13th to 15th. Uzbekistan, home to 170,000 Koreans, the largest population in Central Asia, is a ‘special strategic partner’ that has cooperated closely with us for a long time.

After arriving in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, on June 13, the president and his wife plan to lay a wreath at the Independence Monument and attend a compatriot dinner meeting.

Starting with an official welcome ceremony on the morning of the 14th, a summit meeting between the two countries, an agreement and MOU signing ceremony, and a joint media announcement are scheduled at the guesthouse.

On the afternoon of the same day, he will attend the Korea-Uzbekistan Business Forum and deliver a keynote speech.

Next, we plan to visit Uzbekistan’s Startup Promotion Center, which opened last year with the support of our government, and have a conversation with the innovative future generations of both countries.

As the last part of the second day, the President and his wife attend a state banquet hosted by President Mirziyoyev and his wife.

On June 15, the last day of this Central Asia tour, he plans to visit Samarkand, the ancient city of Uzbekistan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as a side trip to Uzbekistan, before returning home in the afternoon.

Deputy Director Kim said, “We will solidify our core mineral supply chain partnership with Uzbekistan, a resource-rich country and our key partner in Central Asia, support Korean companies in winning orders for energy and infrastructure projects, and contribute to creating a foundation for friendly export expansion.”