At the expert forum in Tashkent, "Strategic Dialogue Central Asia - Republic of Korea: Prospects for Mutually Beneficial Cooperation," participants discussed the prospects of economic and humanitarian cooperation between the Central Asian countries and Korea. This information was reported on the website of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan.
The forum was attended by heads of diplomatic missions of Central Asian countries in Uzbekistan, as well as experts and scholars from the region and South Korea.
From the Korean side, the forum was attended by Kang Jun Young, Director of the Center for Regional Studies, Lee Jong Kook, Executive Director of the "Republic of Korea - Central Asia" Cooperation Forum, and other officials and experts.
Simultaneously, the third cultural and strategic forum "Korean Peninsula and the North: Joint Journey in Uzbekistan" took place. Ambassadors from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Turkey participated in this forum.
This is the first off-site meeting of such a forum organized in Uzbekistan. Previously, they were held in South Korea to strengthen cooperation with northern neighbors.
Akramjon Ne'matov, the First Deputy Director of ISMI, emphasized that South Korea was the first country to establish a dialogue with Central Asia in the "C5+1" format in 2007. Since then, 16 similar forums have been held, and mechanisms of cooperation in various areas have been established.
At the same time, due to the new level of integration in Central Asia, entirely new perspectives for the C5+ format are emerging.
"Our countries demonstrate readiness for closer cooperation and the creation of a new model of economic development in the region based on complementarity," says the expert.
Priority is given to the formation of a robust interconnected market. Cooperation in transport and logistics, industry, and energy is actively developing.
"Our countries share a common vision on the climate agenda. We are actively working on rational water use and the implementation of water-saving technologies," noted the First Deputy Director of ISMI.
According to him, dynamic changes in Central Asia open absolutely new opportunities for cooperation with Korea and other partners in the region.
The expert is convinced that the countries of the region can interact productively with Korean partners in all these directions.
"We have high hopes that Seoul will provide substantial assistance in realizing the potential of our region," the expert concluded.
During the period from December 10 to December 15, 2023, a representative delegation from the Republic of Korea is visiting Uzbekistan, consisting of political, diplomatic, and expert-analytical circles.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
December 13, 2023