The leaders of South Korea and five Central Asian countries met in Seoul on Wednesday. This was their first summit. The countries are Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. They want to work together for a long time. They will focus on energy, new technology, and important minerals. The six nations agreed to a 30-year plan to help their economies grow together.
The leaders will meet every two years to talk about their goals. The next meeting will be in Kazakhstan in 2028. Ministers will also meet regularly to talk about transport and manufacturing. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said this connection is very important. He spoke about the "Silk Road spirit" to show how these regions can connect again.
The countries want to protect their supply chains. Kazakhstan is very important because it has all ten strategic minerals that South Korea needs. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev suggested a new group for mineral investment. He also wants total trade to reach $20 billion by the year 2030. The five Central Asian republics have a combined GDP of $550 billion.
To help these goals, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov suggested a joint investment fund. President Tokayev of Kazakhstan proposed a new transport route. This route will go from South Korea through Central Asia to Europe. This route is also called the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. Also, more than 500 people attended a business summit. During this event, companies signed nineteen memorandums of understanding to work together on new projects.