Seoul, Republic of Korea
In his address, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed gratitude to President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae Myung for the warm welcome and impeccable organization of the first Central Asia – Republic of Korea Summit.
“This dialogue has a rich history – it was launched 20 years ago at the initiative ofthe Korean side. Today, the format of interaction is being elevated to the highest political level. This is truly a culmination of our multifaceted cooperation and a testament to genuinely strategic relations and mutual trust. The current Summit can rightfully be called a historic event. I would particularly like to highlight the political will and personal contribution of President Lee Jae Myung to convening this landmark meeting. We see the Republic of Korea’s firm commitment to building an equal and long-term partnership with the Central Asian states,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
The President noted that in Kazakhstan the Korean people, their unique history, traditions and culture are treated with great respect and warmth.
“The Republic of Korea has demonstrated one of the most inspiring examples of national prosperity in the modern world. By prioritizing education, innovation and human capital, you have managed, within a remarkably short period of time, to join the ranks of the world’s leading technological powers. This is a natural result of hard work, discipline and determination, which evokes genuine admiration and resonates deeply with the peoples of Kazakhstan.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined his vision for further developing multilateral cooperation. He identified trade, economic and investment cooperation as the first priority.
“Last year, trade between Central Asia and Korea exceeded 10 billion US dollars for the first time. Kazakhstan accounts for almost half of the region’s total trade turnover. Seoul is among the top ten trading partners of our country and ranks ninth among the largest investors, with FDI exceeding 12 billion. More than a thousand joint ventures with Korean capital operate in Kazakhstan. For many years, leading Korean companies such as Kia, Hyundai, Doosan, POSCO, Samsung, Lotte and Hanwha have been successfully operating on the Kazakh market. Today, bilateral cooperation is reaching a new level. During the visit, commercial agreements worth around 19 billion were signed. This is a convincing indicator of the strong momentum in our economic cooperation,” the President noted.
The Head of State stressed that Kazakhstan remains committed to creating all the necessary conditions for Korean companies to operate in the country. According to him, the Altyn Visa programme, which facilitates the long-term presence of investors in Kazakhstan, serves this purpose.
“Significant potential that requires further deepening economic cooperation exists in the industrial sector. A telling example is the KIA Qazaqstan plant, launched in Kazakhstan last year, with an annual production capacity of 70 thousand vehicles. A fully-fledged industrial cluster is being formed around the plant. I believe this model of cooperation should also be applied in other sectors by combining Korea’s technological capabilities with production potential of our country. In this regard, I would like to welcome the holding of the First Meeting of the Ministers of Industry of the Central Asian States and the Republic of Korea. Within this framework, our governments could develop a portfolio of flagship joint projects focused on localizing production, technology transfer, developing regional cooperation and exporting finished products to third-country markets. I am confident that the Central Asia – Korea Business Forum scheduled for today will make a substantial contribution to this process,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
The President considers the development of transportation and logistics capabilities to be another priority. In his view, amid profound changes in the global supply chain, Central Asia’s role as a vital link between East and West has grown.
“Kazakhstan has set a goal of increasing total transit volumes through its territory to 100 million tonnes. In this context, we attach particular emphasis on the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, often referred to as the Middle Corridor. Over the past six years, freight volumes along this corridor have increased fivefold. In the foreseeable future, we intend to raise its capacity to 20 million tonnes. In our view, it is possible to integrate the Middle Corridor with the TRIPP transport initiative. Within this framework, Korea carries out multimodal transport to Central Asia via the Kazakhstan–China logistics terminal at the Port of Lianyungang. I believe it is possible to combine the potential of these routes and establish an end-to-end transport and logistics chain from Korea through Central Asia to Europe. In this regard, close cooperation between the Port of Busan and Kazakhstan’s Caspian ports holds great promise in terms of sharing best practices and information,” according to the Head of State.
Highlighting the importance of energy security, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that Kazakhstan is among the world’s leading hydrocarbon producers, with annual oil production of around 100 million tonnes.
“We are ready to expand cooperation in this area, including the resumption of energy supplies to Korea. At the same time, we see broad opportunities for expanding cooperation in geological exploration and the development of new mineral deposits. There is already positive experience in this area. For example, the Korean National Oil Corporation (KNOC) is successfully developing oil fields in Kazakhstan. Hyundai Engineering, as part of a consortium, will participate in the construction of a major gas processing plant. Significant opportunities are also opening up in deep processing of raw materials. Kazakhstan is actively developing its oil and gas chemistry, including the production of polypropylene and polyethylene, and invites Korean companies to establish new high-value-added production facilities. The global energy transition has brought the development of the nuclear industry to the forefront. We are ready to deepen cooperation with KHNP and Doosan Enerbility in the field of nuclear technologies,” the President of Kazakhstan said.
The Head of State expressed interest in studying Korea’s experience in developing hydrogen energy. According to him, a number of joint initiatives are being explored in this area, including the Green Energy Complex in East Kazakhstan Region.
“I believe it is important to move towards the practical implementation of pilot projects for the production and use of clean hydrogen. At the same time, coal continues to play an important role in Kazakhstan’s energy security. The country’s reserves amount to approximately 33 billion tonnes, while coal generation accounts for more than 60 percent of electricity production. Therefore, the introduction of advanced clean coal technologies is a key priority. I invite Korean businesses, including Doosan, KEPCO E&C and Midland Power, to implement joint projects to modernize coal generation and introduce emissions-control technologies,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted.
Along with this, particular attention was also paid to cooperation in digitalization and artificial intelligence.
“The Republic of Korea is one of the leaders in the global technological race. Kazakhstan has also become an active participant in digital transformation. The Alem.ai International Centre has been opened in Astana, supercomputers have been launched, and the specialized university of artificial intelligence has begun operating. A number of joint initiatives with Korea are already underway. In particular, Woosong University has been opened in Turkistan, while the Institute of Artificial Intelligence was established in Kyzylorda jointly with SeoulTech. A breakthrough project in our partnership will be the opening of a branch of KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) in Alatau City, one of the world’s leading technological universities. This year, the AI SilkNet Centre for Predictive Analytics and Foresight, established jointly with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information, began its work. In my view, scientific institutions, universities and technology companies of our countries should be brought together under its auspices. Kazakhstan is ready to leverage the potential of the Alem.ai International Centre for Artificial Intelligence to implement joint initiatives. I also consider it important to launch, in partnership with Korea, a regional AI Talent programme for training artificial intelligence specialists for the Central Asian countries. This will help create a new technological space that stimulates economic growth and scientific progress,” the Head of State said.
The President then proposed strengthening the partnership in the field of critical materials.
“Kazakhstan possesses a significant resource base and is among the world leaders in rare earth element reserves. Notably, all 10 minerals classified by Korea as strategic are represented in our country’s mineral resource base. Combining Kazakhstan’s resource potential with Korea’s technological capabilities opens up broad prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation. I welcome the agreement reached during the current visit to establish in Almaty a joint Centre for Rare and Rare Earth Metals with the participation of the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology. Our goal should be to build a full production cycle – from research and extraction of critical raw materials to deep processing and the production of high-value-added goods. This includes semiconductors, microelectronics, batteries, electric vehicle components and robotics. To implement this task, we propose establishing a joint Kazakh-Korean company,” he said.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also addressed issues of water security and preserving the region’s environmental balance.
“Kazakhstan is implementing a large-scale modernization of its water infrastructure. By 2030, we plan to build 42 new reservoirs, modernize 14,500 kilometres of irrigation canals and significantly expand the use of water-saving technologies. Climate change, water scarcity and the degradation of natural ecosystems are already affecting the socio-economic development of Central Asia. Therefore, Kazakhstan highly values Korea’s readiness to share its advanced technologies and practical experience in this important and sensitive area for us. In particular, I see considerable potential in launching a joint program to introduce Korean water-saving technologies, digital water accounting and modern water-saving infrastructure,” the President of Kazakhstan noted.
In concluding his address, the Head of State placed particular emphasis on the significant achievements of the Summit’s participating countries in developing cultural and humanitarian cooperation.
“Our countries are bound by fraternal ties that reach deep into history. The Koryo-saram community plays a special role in this regard. It has become an integral part of the countries of the region while also serving as a reliable bridge of friendship between Central Asia and Korea. Kazakhstan plays a special role in preserving the identity and culture of the Korean people, who were separated from their homeland and found a new home on our land. Next year will mark the 90th anniversary of the resettlement of Koreans to Central Asia. In this regard, we propose holding special events next year dedicated to this commemorative occasion. I believe it is important to launch the Central Asia – Korea Future Generation program aimed at expanding youth contacts as well as educational and cultural exchanges,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev concluded.
The Summit was also addressed by President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae Myung, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
