Korea-Central Asia Summit Adopts Seoul Declaration

President Lee Jae-myung and the leaders of five Central Asian nations adopted the 'Seoul Declaration,' a milestone in upgrading cooperation, at the first Korea-Central Asia Summit held in Seoul on the 16th. The declaration was joined by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, and Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

In the declaration, the leaders stated that "as the international situation grows increasingly complex and fluid, there is a need to strengthen cooperation between Central Asia and the Republic of Korea." They also agreed to institutionalize the partnership by holding the Korea-Central Asia Summit every two years and reviewing the implementation of outcomes through ministerial-level cooperation forums.

On peace and security, the declaration explicitly reaffirmed commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and building lasting peace, expressed support for the South Korean government's efforts to resume inter-Korean dialogue, and underscored the importance of the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone.

The leaders expressed their gratitude to South Korea for hosting the first summit. The second summit is scheduled to take place in Kazakhstan in 2028. With the adoption of this declaration, Korea-Central Asia cooperation has established a regularized framework of biennial summits and ministerial forums.