The South Korean government has elevated its relationship with Tajikistan to a "comprehensive partnership," agreeing to expand mutual cooperation in railways, key minerals, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital sectors. The two countries signed 17 cooperation documents, including agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) covering railways, industry, energy, customs, intellectual property, and public safety during a summit.
On September 16, President Lee Jae-myung held a summit with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, who is visiting South Korea to attend the first Korea-Central Asia Summit. This marks the first visit by a Tajik president to South Korea in 11 years.
In his opening remarks at the expanded summit, President Lee noted, "Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992, South Korea and Tajikistan have steadily developed friendly cooperation. I am very pleased that this visit by the President, after 11 years, has led to the establishment of a comprehensive partnership between our two countries."
He described Tajikistan as a geographical hub connecting Central Asia and South Asia, rich in mineral resources and growth potential.
President Lee stated, "As a reliable partner, South Korea will actively cooperate for Tajikistan's economic development. I hope our two countries can further expand mutual cooperation in areas such as railways, key minerals, and digital technology."
The summit established a foundation for cooperation in entering the Tajik railway market.
The two nations signed a government-level MOU encompassing railway policies, technologies, and overall business, agreeing to collaborate on modernizing urban railways and existing railway lines, as well as training specialized personnel.
As a result, the railway cooperation between the two countries, which had previously focused on individual projects, will evolve into a permanent cooperation system encompassing policies, systems, technologies, personnel, and business collaboration.
Korea Railroad Corporation and Tajikistan Railways agreed to cooperate on urban railway projects, training railway professionals, constructing a railway training center, and managing railway infrastructure. They plan to support the entry of South Korean companies into the Central Asian railway market based on the preliminary feasibility study for Tajik urban railway construction.
The National Railway Corporation and Tajikistan Railways will also share information on railway project development issues and relevant laws, standards, technologies, and experiences from both countries. This aims to establish a foundation for securing contracts for the construction of the urban railway project in Tajikistan's capital, Dushanbe.
In the transportation sector, training and education related to intermodal transport, public-private partnerships (PPP), urban transport, and transportation infrastructure will be conducted, while enhancing cooperation in digitalization, smart mobility, and logistics.
Cooperation in the industrial and innovation sectors will also be expanded. The two countries will share industrial technologies and experiences in light industry, textiles, sericulture, leather processing, food, and chemicals, and promote the exchange of scientific and technological information and innovative technologies, as well as joint research in AI. The goal is to increase exports of South Korean products in textiles, chemicals, and machinery, and to establish a foundation for local entry in the AI and digital sectors.
KOTRA and the Tajikistan Export Agency will jointly explore opportunities for cooperation in trade and key minerals and green transition industries. They plan to support trade and investment expansion through information exchange and research and analysis cooperation between the export agencies of both countries.
In the energy sector, the two nations will share technologies and information related to smart grids, introduce remote metering infrastructure, reduce power losses, and cooperate in the digitalization of power networks and energy storage. This will establish an institutional foundation for cooperation in the power industry between the two countries.
Agreements on customs cooperation and mutual administrative support were also signed. The two countries will share information on tax prices, origin verification, customs legality, reasons for customs delays or denials, and illegal trade of sensitive goods. The aim is to create a safe and smooth trading environment while jointly responding to transnational crimes such as customs violations and smuggling.
In the field of intellectual property, they will share policies, legal systems, and examination experiences, and cooperate in administrative digitalization and the application of new technologies. Joint crackdowns on counterfeit goods of key brands at the border and capacity building for customs officials will also be pursued to support the stable activities of South Korean companies operating locally.
Regarding the establishment of cooperation channels between law enforcement agencies, they will share information and experiences to respond to transnational crimes such as terrorism, drug trafficking, and cybercrime, as well as to cooperate in investigations of fugitives abroad. This collaboration aims to prevent the influx of transnational crimes, such as drug trafficking, into Central Asia, particularly given Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan, which spans over 1,300 kilometers.
A cooperation system has also been established to exchange financial information on suspicious transactions related to money laundering and terrorist financing, aiming to block illegal financial flows at an early stage.
Additionally, the two countries will collaborate on digital forest management and ecological restoration using agricultural satellites and information and communication technology (ICT) to address climate change. In the education sector, they will promote exchanges of faculty and students between universities, develop educational programs, introduce AI and digital education, and expand Korean language education in Tajikistan. They will also share South Korea's systems and experiences in anti-corruption, personnel administration, and industrial safety and health.
President Rahmon remarked, "Strengthening our cooperation with South Korea is one of the key priorities of Tajikistan's foreign economic policy. This summit will be a good opportunity to review the current state of our cooperation and look forward to future exchanges."
He added, "Next year marks the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Tajikistan. It is important to further establish an institutional foundation to elevate our cooperation to a new level of partnership."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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