17 with Tajikistan, 18 with Kyrgyzstan — covering minerals, AI, infrastructure and transnational crime

Lee signs wide-ranging inter-ministerial cooperation documents on sidelines of back-to-back summits

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a summit with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov at Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday. [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a summit with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov at Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday. [Yonhap]

South Korea signed a total of 35 agreements, accords and MOUs with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday, significantly expanding practical cooperation with the two Central Asian nations across economic, security and cultural areas.

The sweeping package of documents was concluded as President Lee Jae Myung held separate bilateral summits at Cheong Wa Dae with visiting Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, formalizing inter-ministerial cooperation across a broad range of policy areas.

With Tajikistan, South Korea signed 17 cooperation documents, including an MOU on developing cooperation in industry and innovation.

The two countries agreed to expand exports in key manufacturing sectors such as textiles, chemicals and machinery, and to lay the groundwork for advancing into AI and digital industries. They also committed to strengthening cooperation in railways, transportation, logistics, intellectual property, energy and industrial safety, while exploring collaboration on critical minerals and the green transition. On public order and security, the two sides agreed to work closely through their customs authorities and police to combat transnational crime, and to broaden exchanges in public administration, anti-corruption efforts and education.

With Kyrgyzstan, South Korea concluded 18 documents, including a revised MOU on trade and investment cooperation.

The two sides agreed to pursue cooperation across a wide range of fields — critical minerals, the halal market, infrastructure development, livestock technology, energy and intellectual property — and to build a public-private partnership framework to boost bilateral trade and investment. They also agreed to diversify cultural and sports exchanges and to strengthen coordination in customs, policing and disaster management. Beyond central-government cooperation, separate MOUs were also signed between the Gyeonggi Province Office of Education and Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Education, and between the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the city of Bishkek.


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