SEOUL, September 16 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held back-to-back summits with the leaders of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday, expanding cooperation in critical minerals, infrastructure and trade as Seoul hosted its first-ever summit with the five Central Asian nations.
Lee first met Tajik President Emomali Rahmon at Cheong Wa Dae, where the two countries agreed to establish a “comprehensive partnership” for the first time since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992.
The leaders agreed to broaden ties beyond development assistance into trade and investment, rail and transport infrastructure, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, digital transformation and climate issues.
The two sides identified Tajikistan’s mineral resources, including antimony, as a promising area for cooperation with South Korea’s exploration and development technology.
They also agreed to establish a “Korea Desk” to support Korean companies operating in Tajikistan and signed a total of 17 agreements and memorandums of understanding covering areas ranging from railways and customs to digital technology and public administration.
Relations between Seoul and Dushanbe have expanded gradually since diplomatic ties were established in April 1992.
South Korea upgraded its diplomatic mission in Tajikistan to a full embassy in 2021, while Tajikistan opened its embassy in Seoul in 2015. Bilateral trade reached about $354 million in 2025, overwhelmingly consisting of South Korean exports such as vehicles, auto parts and construction machinery, according to South Korea’s Foreign Ministry.
Lee later met Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov, agreeing to deepen the comprehensive partnership the two countries established during Zhaparov’s visit to Seoul in December 2024. The leaders discussed cooperation in trade and investment, critical minerals, urban development and infrastructure, food security, public administration, disaster response, AI, climate and education.
The two governments agreed to open a Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, or KOTRA, office in Bishkek and establish a Korea Desk within Kyrgyzstan’s National Investment Agency to help companies from both countries.
They also agreed to pursue mutual recognition of halal certification to help South Korean food and beauty companies expand into Kyrgyzstan and the broader Central Asian market. A total of 18 agreements and MOUs were signed during the summit.
South Korea and Kyrgyzstan established diplomatic relations in January 1992 and have built cooperation particularly in development assistance, public administration, health care and environmental policy. Direct flights between the two countries began in 2023, helping expand travel, education and other people-to-people exchanges.
The bilateral meetings came as Lee and the presidents of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan gathered in Seoul on Wednesday for the inaugural Korea-Central Asia Summit, the first multilateral leaders’ meeting South Korea has held with the five countries.
Opening the summit, Lee said South Korea and Central Asia should build on more than three decades of cooperation to prepare together for the next 30 years, citing supply chains, energy, markets and technology as increasingly intertwined economic and security issues.
The summit is intended to elevate a cooperation framework that began with the Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum in 2007 from the ministerial to the leaders’ level. Seoul has also sought to set out a longer-term regional partnership through a planned Seoul Declaration, with critical minerals, energy, infrastructure, digital technology and people-to-people exchanges among the main areas of cooperation.
AJP Takeaways
- South Korea and Tajikistan established a comprehensive partnership, expanding cooperation in critical minerals, infrastructure, digital technology and trade.
- President Lee Jae Myung and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov agreed to deepen their countries’ comprehensive partnership, including through new business-support mechanisms and cooperation on halal certification.
- The bilateral summits came as South Korea hosted the inaugural Korea-Central Asia Summit in Seoul, bringing together the leaders of all five Central Asian nations.
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