The President of South Korea, Lee Jae-myung, met with his Turkmen counterpart, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, in Seoul on Tuesday. This meeting aimed to review bilateral cooperation ahead of the important South Korea-Central Asia summit.
South Korea-Central Asia Summit
The inaugural South Korea-Central Asia summit is set to take place on Wednesday, where discussions will focus on strategic resources, supply chains, artificial intelligence, and other forward-looking areas. This summit provides an opportunity to strengthen relations between the two countries as well as with other Central Asian nations.
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Bilateral Talks and Infrastructure Projects
In closed-door negotiations, Lee urged Berdimuhamedov to support major industrial and infrastructure projects in Turkmenistan. The spokesperson for the South Korean presidency, Kang Yoo-jung, announced that both sides agreed to expand cooperation in Turkmenistan's plan to develop a logistics hub connecting Central Asia to the Caspian Sea. This initiative is seen as part of the "Revival of the Great Silk Road."
The leaders of the two countries also emphasized the importance of effective water management and anti-desertification measures in Turkmenistan, agreeing to strengthen cooperation in this area using South Korean smart water management technologies.
The Importance of Peaceful Negotiations on the Korean Peninsula
Serdar Berdimuhamedov expressed that Turkmenistan greatly appreciates South Korea's support on the international stage and supports Lee's initiative regarding North Korea, referred to as END (Exchange, Normalization, and Denuclearization). He emphasized that Turkmenistan has always believed that all issues related to the Korean Peninsula should be resolved through peaceful dialogue and diplomatic methods and will continue this approach.
Lee also thanked Berdimuhamedov for allowing the exit of South Korean citizens from Iran through Turkmenistan during the emergency in the Middle East last year and this year. This action reflects the close cooperation and mutual trust between the two countries.
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