Lee holds back-to-back summits with 5 Central Asian leaders, to chair multilateral meeting Wednesday

President Lee Jae Myung will hold a series of bilateral summits with the leaders of five Central Asian nations over three days starting Monday, then chair the inaugural Korea-Central Asia Summit — the first multilateral heads-of-state meeting of its kind — on Wednesday. The diplomatic push aims to elevate strategic cooperation with the resource-rich region to the highest level, accelerating efforts to secure national supply chains and open new markets.

Cheong Wa Dae Chief Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing Monday that Lee would hold separate bilateral summits with the leaders of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan over the three-day period. On Wednesday, Lee will bring all five leaders together to chair the first Korea-Central Asia Summit.

Cheong Wa Dae said the back-to-back summits are designed to elevate strategic cooperation with Central Asia to the leader level, combining the region's demand for economic growth with South Korea's strategy of diversifying supply chains and expanding into new markets to build a foundation for mutual benefit. The government also intends to move beyond one-off diplomacy by establishing a sustainable regional partnership that advances its New Northern Policy and delivers concrete results in diplomatic diversification.

Security and law-enforcement cooperation will also be strengthened. The government said it expects to secure Central Asian diplomatic support on Korean Peninsula issues while deepening collaboration on transnational crimes — including drug trafficking, terrorism and cybercrime — to improve the safety of South Korean nationals living in or visiting the region.

Uzbekistan leads off the summit series. A key partner in transportation and infrastructure development and home to the largest population in Central Asia, Uzbekistan represents a major hub market for South Korea. Lee will meet Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who is visiting South Korea as a state guest, to significantly broaden bilateral cooperation. Immediately after the summit, the two sides will hold a signing and exchange ceremony for 13 inter-governmental agreements and MOUs in the presence of both leaders.

A state dinner attended by some 50 dignitaries from both countries will be held Monday evening. The menu will feature customized hansik — Korean cuisine — developed to reflect President Mirziyoyev's personal tastes alongside the distinct culinary traditions and specialty ingredients of both nations.