Cho Tae-yeol "If Korea-Central Asia Strengthen Supply Chain Cooperation, Mutual Benefits"

Opening Ceremony of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs-hosted 'Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum'
Discussion on Cooperation in Supply Chain, Environment, Digital, and Tourism Sectors

Cho Tae-yeol, Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated, "If Korea, a technology powerhouse, and resource-rich Central Asia strengthen supply chain cooperation in energy resources and various minerals, it will be a win-win situation for both sides."

Minister Cho Tae-yeol made these remarks on the 4th at the opening ceremony of the 17th Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noting that the fragmentation of supply chains between countries and regions is intensifying, and the energy and supply chain crises are worsening due to the Ukraine war and Middle East situation. He mentioned that following President Yoon Suk-yeol's state visits to three Central Asian countries in June, partnerships for critical mineral supply chain cooperation were established with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and emphasized his hope that related cooperation will expand to all five Central Asian countries through this forum.

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol (third from the right) is taking a commemorative photo with participants at the opening ceremony of the 17th Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum held at Lotte Hotel Seoul on the 4th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Minister Cho also said, "We will further specify the 'K-Silk Road Cooperation Initiative,' the first Central Asia region-specialized strategy," adding, "Through this, we aim to elevate the mutually beneficial partnership between Korea and Central Asia to the next level." He also mentioned, "The government's greenhouse gas reduction projects with Central Asian countries are promising cooperative projects that jointly contribute to green growth and climate change response."

The Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum has been held annually since 2007 to elevate bilateral relations and establish a comprehensive cooperative relationship. At this forum, attended by foreign ministers and vice ministers from the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan), cooperation plans in high-demand areas such as supply chains, environment and climate change, digital technology, and tourism are discussed.

Murat Nurtleu, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, emphasized, "A multifaceted partnership with Korea is one of our top policy priorities." Regarding the construction of the Ulken region nuclear power plant, he added, "We expect Korean companies to participate when forming an international consortium."