A Turkmen industrial sector delegation participated in the first meeting of the industry ministers of Korea and the Central Asian countries, held in Seoul on Sept. 14. The meeting discussed ways to develop industrial cooperation and supply chains for critical minerals, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources of the Republic of Korea reported.
The meeting, attended by the industry ministers of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as the Republic of Korea, was the first ministerial-level event in the “C5+1” format. Industrial cooperation previously conducted bilaterally with these countries was expanded for the first time to a multilateral format involving all six countries.
At the opening of the meeting, Korea’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources JK Kim said combining Korea’s advanced technologies and manufacturing capabilities with Central Asia’s growth potential would drive development in the region and across Eurasia. He called on the Central Asian countries to work together to forge a new path toward an advanced industrial ecosystem.
The six ministers agreed to strengthen practical cooperation in three priority areas to adapt jointly to rapidly changing global trade conditions and shifts in supply chains. They discussed expanding trade and modernizing industry, developing supply chains for critical minerals, as well as strengthening technology cooperation and training specialists for future industries.
The sides also discussed opportunities to develop cooperation by combining Central Asia’s mineral resources, including lithium and rare earth metals, with Korea’s advanced processing technologies. They also discussed cooperation on smart factories and artificial intelligence technologies in manufacturing, the deployment of Korean manufacturing equipment and technologies in the region, and expanding exchanges among young technical specialists.
