The Mayor of Busan, Park Heong-joon, met with the new Consul General of Kazakhstan to discuss opportunities for enhancing cooperation between Busan and Kazakhstan.

Busan, August 30, 2024 - the Mayor of Busan, Park Heong-joon, met with the new Consul General of Kazakhstan, Aslan Askar, to discuss opportunities for enhancing cooperation between Busan and Kazakhstan.

During the meeting, Mayor Park emphasized Kazakhstan’s role as a key partner of South Korea in various sectors, including the economy, culture, and tourism, since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992. He highlighted Kazakhstan’s significant potential, owing to its abundant natural resources, vast territory, and hardworking and dynamic population. Mayor Park welcomed the appointment of Aslan Askar, who brings over a decade of experience in Korean affairs.

Busan continues to actively foster its partnership with Kazakhstan, as demonstrated by the signing of a friendship agreement with the city of Almaty in September 2022. As part of the "Global Hub City Busan" initiative, the city plans to expand its diplomatic outreach throughout Eurasia, focusing on strategies for economic, logistical, cultural, and tourism exchanges tailored to the unique characteristics of each city.

Consul General Aslan Askar noted the popularity of Busan’s universities in Kazakhstan and expressed a strong interest in further collaboration, particularly in cultural sectors such as film and cuisine. He also mentioned importance of development of aviation logistics projects connecting Busan, Incheon, Almaty, and Astana, involving Korean logistics companies.

In response, Mayor Park outlined plans for 2024, which include diplomatic visits to cities in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and the United Arab Emirates. These visits aim to promote Busan in the Eurasian region and to engage in various activities to strengthen bilateral ties.

Mayor Park concluded the meeting by expressing hope for Kazakhstan's active participation in upcoming joint projects and initiatives, underscoring the importance of strengthening the friendship between the two cities.