BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. South Korean
National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung Sik met with Turkmen President
Serdar Berdimuhamedov in Seoul to discuss bilateral relations and
parliamentary exchanges.


This was reflected in a press release published by the National
Assembly of the Republic of Korea


The meeting took place on September 15 at the National Assembly
during Berdimuhamedov's visit to South Korea to attend the first
Korea-Central Asia Summit.


Cho welcomed the Turkmen president to the National Assembly and
expressed hope that his visit would contribute to further
development of bilateral relations.


The speaker also thanked Berdimuhamedov for his interest and
support in ensuring the safe evacuation of South Korean citizens
from Iran last year and this year.


Cho noted that Turkmenistan and South Korea have maintained
high-level exchanges since establishing diplomatic relations in
1992, developing their ties as a mutually beneficial
partnership.


He said bilateral trade had increased more than fivefold since
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov became the country's leader in 2007.







The speaker expressed support for Turkmenistan's Great Silk Road
Revival initiative and said the National Assembly would actively
support mutually beneficial cooperation based on South Korea's
technological capabilities and Turkmenistan's natural
resources.


Cho also welcomed the launch of direct flights between the two
countries in July last year and called for continued support for
expanding parliamentary exchanges.


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.