South Korea and the five Central Asian republics have held their first joint heads-of-state summit, establishing a biennial forum and a 30-year framework for cooperation across critical minerals, energy, manufacturing, transport and emerging technology.
The meeting in Seoul brought together South Korea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Their Seoul Declaration creates a recurring leaders' summit and a separate mechanism for the six countries' industry ministers. Kazakhstan is due to host the next leaders' meeting in 2028.
The framework reflects complementary economic goals. South Korea wants more diverse sources of materials used in semiconductors, batteries and electric vehicles. Central Asian governments want a greater share of processing and manufacturing to take place within their countries, supported by Korean investment and technical expertise. The declaration calls for value chains linking regional resources and production with South Korea's industrial capacity.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said his country holds all 10 minerals that South Korea classifies as strategic and identified semiconductors, battery components, electric vehicles and robotics as possible areas for cooperation. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed a regional investment alliance covering the full critical-minerals production cycle and set a goal of $20 billion in trade between South Korea and Central Asia by 2030. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov proposed a joint fund to finance priority projects and ease Korean companies' entry into the region.
Transport links were another major theme. Tokayev proposed a logistics chain connecting Korea through Central Asia to Europe. The discussion emphasized the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, often called the Middle Corridor, which crosses Central Asia and the Caspian Sea before reaching European markets through the South Caucasus and Turkey or the Black Sea. Tokayev said freight volumes on the corridor had increased fivefold over six years.
The countries presented other priorities within the shared framework. Kyrgyzstan promoted the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and related industrial facilities. Turkmenistan emphasized logistics, energy and industrial cooperation, while Tajikistan focused on water security, climate change and sustainable development.
More than 500 government and business representatives also attended the first Korea-Central Asia Business Summit. Participants signed 19 memorandums of understanding in fields including minerals, infrastructure, industry and digital technology. The documents identify intended areas of cooperation but are not final investment contracts.
The new format builds on a dialogue launched at vice-ministerial level in 2007 and later elevated to ministers. Moving it to the heads-of-state level gives the relationship a regular political timetable. Its economic effect will depend on whether the broad declarations produce funded projects, processing capacity and working transport links before the six leaders reconvene in Kazakhstan.
