Seoul: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held summit talks with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov on Wednesday, calling the Central Asian country a solid partner in politics and the economy, and expressing hope for expanded bilateral exchanges. The summit was a precursor to the inaugural South Korea-Central Asia Summit scheduled for later the same day in Seoul, which will also be attended by the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan.
According to Yonhap News Agency, President Lee emphasized the strength of the partnership between South Korea and Kyrgyzstan, which has grown in various domains since diplomatic ties were established in 1992. He noted that Kyrgyzstan is South Korea's second-biggest trading partner in Central Asia by trade volume and expressed hope for further growth in bilateral exchanges based on the high potential for cooperation between the two nations.
The South Korean leader highlighted several areas for expanding mutually beneficial cooperation, including infrastructure, public administration, public safety, disaster response, food security, and education. He also urged President Japarov to support South Korea's efforts to achieve peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.
President Japarov acknowledged South Korea as one of Kyrgyzstan's major cooperation partners in the Asia-Pacific region and expressed a desire to prioritize collaboration in various sectors. He mentioned that the two countries share similar political views and stances on international and regional issues and expressed confidence in the potential for developing their ties and expanding cooperation in new fields.
President Japarov extended an invitation to President Lee to visit Kyrgyzstan next year to mark the 35th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. Seong Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations and communication, later announced that the leaders committed to elevating bilateral cooperation across various sectors.
The discussions included the establishment of a "Korea desk" within the Kyrgyz government to ensure stable trade and investment relations between the two nations. The leaders also agreed on pursuing mutual halal recognition to facilitate the expansion of South Korean food and beauty companies into Central Asia and exploring business opportunities in the critical minerals sector.
During the summit, South Korea and Kyrgyzstan signed 18 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and pacts to enhance trade and investment in critical minerals, the halal market, infrastructure development, energy, and other areas.