President Yoon Suk Yeol and his Kyrgyz counterpart, Sadyr Japarov, agreed to elevate bilateral ties and expand cooperation in energy and critical minerals during their summit Tuesday, Yoon’s office said.
The two nations also established a comprehensive strategic partnership to enhance collaboration in trade, investment, energy, supply chains, development and climate change, according to a joint declaration. Japarov is on an official visit to South Korea.
“Our government is paying attention to the strategic importance of Central Asia as a bridge between Asia and Europe,” Yoon said in his opening remarks, adding that South Korea “aims to significantly develop relations with the Kyrgyz Republic, an important cooperation partner in Central Asia.”
This marks the first significant upgrade in relations since South Korea and Kyrgyzstan established diplomatic ties in 1992, following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Key agreements included a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on energy and critical minerals, focusing on renewable energy projects and natural resource supply chains.
