MOU signed with Turkmenistan on Karakum Canal modernization

Daewoo Engineering & Construction Chairman Jung Won-ju speaks at the Korea-Turkmenistan Business Forum on Tuesday. [Daewoo Engineering & Construction]
Daewoo Engineering & Construction Chairman Jung Won-ju speaks at the Korea-Turkmenistan Business Forum on Tuesday. [Daewoo Engineering & Construction]

Daewoo Engineering & Construction Chairman Jung Won-ju attended the inaugural Korea-Central Asia Summit, using the occasion to strengthen cooperation with countries across the region.

According to Daewoo E&C, Jung participated in key events of the three-day summit, held Monday through Wednesday, meeting directly with heads of state, senior government officials and business leaders to discuss industrial and infrastructure development priorities in each country.

The summit was the first multilateral leaders' meeting to bring together South Korea and the five Central Asian nations, convened to expand practical cooperation across fields including the economy, industry, energy and infrastructure. The leaders of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan all traveled to South Korea to attend.

Jung attended a series of events — the Korea-Uzbekistan Business Roundtable, the Korea-Turkmenistan Business Forum and a Korea-Central Asia state dinner — actively promoting Daewoo E&C's project capabilities and potential for collaboration.

At the Korea-Turkmenistan Business Forum on Tuesday, Daewoo E&C signed a memorandum of understanding with Turkmenistan's Water Resources Commission on cooperation for the Karakum Canal modernization project, securing a concrete business outcome from the summit.

The Karakum Canal is the world's largest irrigation and water supply canal, stretching roughly 1,100 kilometers across Turkmenistan from east to west, originating at the Amu Darya River in the north and measuring 25 to 30 meters wide. Completed in the 1960s, it has played a vital role in supplying agricultural, residential and industrial water throughout the country.

Under the agreement, Daewoo E&C secured a foundation to pursue the modernization of approximately 250 kilometers of the canal's lower section, while also establishing a foothold to expand cooperation into water resources and environmental projects across Turkmenistan.

At the forum, Jung met with Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov to outline additional project plans in the country and request government-level attention and support. He also met with senior officials and business representatives from Uzbekistan and other Central Asian nations to discuss cooperation prospects across a broad range of sectors — including energy, plant construction, infrastructure and urban development — extending Daewoo E&C's network across the region.

"The Korea-Central Asia Summit has been an important opportunity to broaden the scope of cooperation between Korea and Central Asia beyond the economy and industry to culture and people-to-people exchange," Jung said. "We will further solidify our relationships of trust and cooperation with the Central Asian nations and actively participate in the various infrastructure projects they need."

Daewoo E&C plans to continue strengthening its network with all five Central Asian countries, expanding its project portfolio in the region by building on its experience in plant and energy work to branch into water resources, infrastructure and urban development.


hss@heraldcorp.com