Joint Statement of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs following the results of the 16th Central Asia - Republic of Korea Cooperation Forum
Unofficial Translation
On November 1, 2023, the 16th Central Asia - the Republic of Korea Cooperation Forum (hereinafter referred to as the Forum) was held in Ashgabat, which was attended by the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea Park Jin, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Jeenbek Kulubaev, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov (hereinafter - Heads of delegations) as well as representatives of line ministries and departments, academic circles, youth structures and the private sectors of the Central Asian states and the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as Representatives).
2. The heads of delegations highly appreciated the activities of the Forum as a regular multilateral consultative platform and its contribution to strengthening practical cooperation between the Central Asian states and the Republic of Korea over the past period.
The heads of delegations, in a friendly, constructive, and businesslike atmosphere, discussed a wide range of issues and agreed on the need for comprehensive reflection and enriching with substantive characteristics and positive impulses of joint interaction within the Forum, and exchanged views on key issues of the regional and international agenda and reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining solidarity in the cause of ensuring global long-term peace and stability.
3. The heads of delegations confirmed the long-term nature of the partnership within the Forum for the purpose of shared prosperity and sustainable development.
4. The heads of delegations noted that the Forum is an effective platform for establishing contacts between representatives of governments, state bodies, local authorities, economic, scientific and cultural circles in order to identify, discuss, direct and implement cooperation projects between the Central Asian states and the Republic of Korea.
5. The heads of delegations emphasized that based on the principles of mutual respect and mutually beneficial partnership, the Forum is making a significant contribution to the development of cooperation between the Central Asian states and the Republic of Korea in such areas as energy, infrastructure, transport and logistics, education, science and technology, innovation, information and communication technologies, digitalization, textile and forestry industries, agriculture, climate and environment, healthcare, tourism and cultural and humanitarian interaction as well as partnerships between public organizations.
The heads of delegations highlighted the importance of practical measures in cooperation between the Republic of Korea and the Central Asian states on the transfer of new technologies and their localization.
6. The heads of delegations expressed a common view that complete denuclearization and sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula would contribute to strengthening cooperation between the Central Asian states and the Republic of Korea in order to ensure shared prosperity. The Central Asian states confirmed their readiness to develop cooperation and support the “Audacious Initiative of the Government of the Republic of Korea to achieve denuclearization, peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.” The Korean side expressed gratitude to the Central Asian states for supporting this initiative of the Government of the Republic of Korea and noted the importance of the experience of creating a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the region through the efforts of the Central Asian states.
The heads of delegations noted that through dynamic and positive changes in the Central Asian states, sustainable and stable development of the region as a whole will be ensured. The Korean side highly appreciated the role and results of the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia on the issue of further deepening cooperation, strengthening peace, creating an atmosphere of friendship, trust and good neighborliness in the Central Asian region as well as increasing their significance on the international arena. The heads of delegations underscored the key role of Central Asia for peace and security on a global scale as well as the initiatives promoted by the states of the region on the international arena.
The heads of delegations confirmed that one of the most important factors in preserving and strengthening security and stability in Central Asia is the speedy resolution of the situation in Afghanistan exclusively through peaceful, diplomatic means and methods. The heads of delegations expressed support for the restoration of the socio-economic infrastructure of Afghanistan.
The heads of delegations called on Afghanistan to create the necessary conditions for the formation of an inclusive government with the participation of all ethnic and political groups.
The heads of delegations also supported the development of the CICA and its transformation into an international organization in order to strengthen peace, trust and cooperation in Asia.
7. The heads of delegations confirmed the growing relevance and promise of parliamentary diplomacy as an effective tool for global interaction in ensuring peace, security and stability and highly appreciated the results of the first meeting of the Speakers of Parliaments of the Central Asian states and the Republic of Korea held on September 19, 2023 in the Republic of Korea.
The heads of delegations welcomed the decision to hold the second meeting of the Speakers of the Parliaments of Central Asian states and the Republic of Korea in Ashgabat in 2024.
8. The representatives discussed cooperation in the fields of transport and logistics, healthcare and medicine, climate change and environmental protection, information and communication technologies, education and science, as well as tourism.
8.1. (Transport and Logistics) Representatives exchanged views on the need to expand and strengthen transport connectivity and improve the transport and logistics infrastructure of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea, confirmed the relevance of intensifying interaction and strengthening the role of public-private partnerships in this direction.
The representatives confirmed their interest in developing cargo transportation in the East-West and North-South directions using transport and transit routes of the Central Asian states and the Republic of Korea.
8.2. (Healthcare and Medicine) Representatives outlined priorities for the development of cooperation in the areas of preventive and rehabilitative medicine and the healthcare system between the Central Asian states and the Republic of Korea.
The representatives came to a common opinion on the need to expand cooperation between the states of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea in the field of healthcare and medicine through increasing projects for the training of medical personnel and the exchange of highly specialized specialists, doctors and teachers of medical disciplines, including the exchange of data between medical institutions of the states and cooperation in the areas of preventive and rehabilitation medicine and telemedicine, protection of motherhood and childhood, sanitary and epidemiological welfare and the fight against infectious diseases.
8.3. (Climate Change and Environment) Representatives discussed the climate-water-food-energy nexus, climate change adaptation, water resource management and climate-smart agriculture.
The representatives came to a common agreement on the need to expand cooperation between the Central Asian states and the Republic of Korea in these areas as well as in the field of green economy by expanding the participation of Central Asian states in the projects of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).
In this context, representatives welcome the opening of GGGI representative offices in Central Asian states, in particular in the Kyrgyz Republic and Turkmenistan in the near future.
Representatives recognize the catastrophic consequences of the drying up of the Aral Sea and support the efforts of states aimed at preserving the Aral Sea, taking into account the water and energy interests of all states in the basin.
8.4. (Information and Communication Technologies) Representatives agreed on the need to accelerate transformation in the field of e-government and the introduction of electronic services. The parties discussed the prospects for using information and communication technologies to improve the provision of public services and interaction with citizens.
The Republic of Korea expressed its intention to strengthen cooperation with the Central Asian states in the field of digitalization, including such areas as expanding digital infrastructure, cloud technologies and an Internet data center, sharing experiences and best practices in the development of digital education and studying the experience of the Republic of Korea for the development of online education in the region.
8.5. (Education and Science) Representatives noted that the further development of cooperation in the field of science, education and training, in particular at the level of direct contacts between higher educational institutions is important for the development of comprehensive and fruitful cooperation between the states of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea. In this regard, the prospects for introducing innovative approaches in the field of science, education and training were discussed and underlined.
8.6. (Tourism) Representatives based on a common understanding of the importance of humanitarian exchanges for strengthening practical cooperation between the Central Asian states and the Republic of Korea agreed on their readiness to consider establishing a Tourism Dialogue within the Forum to develop sustainable tourism.
8.7. Representatives at the business forum exchanged views on the development of youth entrepreneurship, measures of state support for young entrepreneurs, emphasized the growing role of youth not only in the economic, but also social life of the Central Asian states and the Republic of Korea and came to a common opinion on the need to expand cooperation among business circles states participating in the Forum.
9. The heads of delegations welcomed the results of online thematic meetings and fora held by the Turkmen side on the creation of a modern logistics system and simplification of the transportation process, water resource management for the sustainable development of water infrastructure, provision of emergency medical care and the use of innovative approaches in the training process within the framework of cooperation between the states of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea.
10. The heads of delegations, taking into account the importance of contacts between local governments for the purpose of further exchange and cooperation between the states of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea, expressed their general readiness to make joint efforts to further expand and develop the network of regional cooperation between the states of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea, including through regular consultations between local self-government bodies.
11. The heads of delegations expressed satisfaction over the activities of the Forum Secretariat (hereinafter referred to as the Secretariat) officially created in July 2017 as a permanent body implementing projects approved during the annual Forums and facilitating contacts between the public and private sectors, in order to support long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation between the states of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea.
In addition, the heads of delegations positively assessed the Secretariat’s contribution to strengthening cooperation between the Central Asian states and the Republic of Korea in six promising areas of cooperation for the medium and long term.
The heads of delegations welcomed the results of the implemented projects of the Forum Secretariat in accordance with the Work Plan for 2023, including the secondment of representatives of Central Asian states to the Secretariat (“Resident Fellowship”), research in the field of transport and logistics, building a network of leaders of the future generation of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea in the field renewable energy sources, 4th annual meeting of the Business Council Central Asia - the Republic of Korea, seminar for representatives of local governments, an internship in Korea on water management "Smart Water Management", internship program on the development of traditional medicine and the Korean-Central Asian Forum on traditional medicine, the spring festival of Central Asian states, mixed cultural events to introduce the culture of Central Asian states, the Eurasian Youth Academy program, Tourism Roundtable, etc. The heads of delegations agreed to promote the consistent implementation of cooperation projects included in the 2024 Secretariat Work Plan.
12. Following the meeting of the Secretariat Council, the heads of delegations approved the 2024 Secretariat Work Plan.
13. The heads of delegations highly appreciated the effectiveness of the meetings of experts from line ministries and departments as well as the preparatory meeting of the deputy foreign ministers of the Central Asian states and the Republic of Korea to discuss the content of the 16th Forum.
14. The heads of delegations expressed gratitude to the Turkmen side for the high level of preparation, organization and holding of the 16th Forum as well as thematic meetings and events during 2023 under its chairmanship.
15. The heads of delegations agreed to hold the 17th Forum in 2024 in Seoul. The dates and agenda of the Forum will be agreed upon through diplomatic channels.
16. The heads of delegations agreed to hold the Forums presumably on the first Wednesday of November each year. Specific dates will be finally agreed upon through diplomatic channels.
Ashgabat city,
November 1, 2023