Korea, Central Asia to chart shared path at inaugural summit

Korea and five Central Asian nations will convene their inaugural summit in Seoul on Wednesday, marking a significant step in their nearly two decades of institutional cooperation. The meeting, under the theme "Walking Together Toward the Future: Partnership for Trust and Prosperity," brings together the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan for discussions on critical minerals, supply chains, and Eurasian connectivity.

Korean President Lee Jae Myung will host his counterparts Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Sadyr Japarov, Emomali Rahmon, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The summit coincides with heightened global interest in Central Asia, a region boasting a combined population of approximately 80 million people. This interest is driven by the region's vast energy reserves, mineral wealth, and strategic location at the crossroads of major continental trade routes. In recent years, major economies have engaged in extensive summit-level diplomacy with Central Asian states, laying the groundwork for a new diplomatic norm.