BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. South Korea and
Turkmenistan signed 13 agreements and memoranda covering
investment, infrastructure, transport, customs, intellectual
property and environmental cooperation.
This was reported by the press service of the President of the
Republic of Korea on September 15, following a summit between South
Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Turkmen President Serdar
Berdimuhamedov in Seoul.
"The documents signed on this occasion cover areas such as
enhancing cooperation in plant infrastructure and transportation;
promoting institutional cooperation in areas such as investment
protection, customs, intellectual property rights, and legal
affairs; and cooperation in environmental and climate response
sectors, including water resources and forestry," the report
says.
The two sides also established an official cooperation channel
between their security agencies for the first time and agreed to
strengthen cooperation in security and justice, including efforts
to combat transnational crime.
The leaders also agreed to expand cultural cooperation and
people-to-people exchanges, including youth and academic exchanges
and cooperation between universities.
According to the report, the agreements and memorandums are
expected to provide an important basis for further mutually
beneficial cooperation between South Korea and Turkmenistan.
The two sides also agreed to strengthen cooperation in security
and justice, including efforts to combat transnational crime. The
leaders welcomed the establishment of the first official
cooperation channel between the security agencies of the two
countries.
They also exchanged views on regional and global issues,
including the situation on the Korean Peninsula. President Serdar
Berdimuhamedov reaffirmed Turkmenistan's support for South Korea's
policy toward the Korean Peninsula, highlighting the countries'
close cooperation at international platforms, including the United
Nations, the press release noted.
Meanwhile, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov is paying a
state visit to South Korea and taking part in the first Central
Asia-Republic of Korea Summit in Seoul on September 16-17. The
summit brings together the leaders of South Korea and the five
Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan,
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan - marking the first elevation of the
Korea-Central Asia dialogue to the leaders’ level. Seoul has said
the summit is intended to deepen regional cooperation and produce
practical results for the participating countries.
For Turkmenistan, the summit is taking place alongside a state
visit and bilateral negotiations with the South Korean leadership.
During South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to
Turkmenistan in June 2024, the two countries signed a memorandum
aimed at strengthening cooperation in areas including the economy
and investment, culture, education, communications and human
exchanges. Turkmenistan also expressed support for Seoul's K-Silk
Road initiative, which South Korea presented as its comprehensive
strategy for expanding cooperation with the five Central Asian
countries.
The current summit is therefore taking place against the
backdrop of an effort by Seoul to elevate its cooperation with
Central Asia to the leaders' level.
