Lee to chair first Korea-Central Asia summit, hold bilateral talks with all 5 nations

President Lee Jae Myung will chair the inaugural Korea-Central Asia Summit in Seoul beginning Monday and use the occasion to push for diversification of critical mineral supply chains.

Chief Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing Friday that Lee will preside over the summit under the theme "Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Direction and Partnership for Strengthening Innovation, Prosperity and Connectivity."

The summit marks the first multilateral heads-of-state meeting the South Korean government has held with Central Asian nations.

The government plans to use the occasion to elevate Korea-Central Asia cooperation to the summit level and lay out a medium- to long-term vision for cooperation through a "Seoul Declaration."

Following the summit, Lee will join the leaders of all five Central Asian nations at a Korea-Central Asia Business Summit.

The business summit is a side event aimed at building networks between Korean and Central Asian business communities and deepening practical cooperation across sectors. About 500 government and corporate representatives from the participating countries are expected to attend.

An official state dinner for the visiting leaders and other guests will be held that evening.

Bilateral talks have also been arranged with the leaders visiting Seoul for the summit. Lee will hold separate bilateral meetings with each of the five Central Asian heads of state between Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning.

The leaders of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan will make state visits to South Korea, while the leaders of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan will make official visits.

"Through the Korea-Central Asia Summit and the bilateral talks, we plan to link Central Asia's abundant critical mineral and energy resources with our exploration and processing technology to diversify global supply chains," Kang said. "We will also expand opportunities for Korean companies to enter local markets and win contracts through cooperation on customs, regulation and intellectual property, as well as tailored infrastructure and plant projects for each country."