South Korea to Hold First Summit with Central Asian States on 16–17 September

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — South Korea will hold its first summit with the Central Asian states later this year, marking another step in expanding diplomatic engagement with the region, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

According to Yonhap, the summit between South Korea and the five Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan—will take place on 16–17 September. This was stated by Foreign Minister Cho Hyun during a preparatory meeting for the event.

The foreign minister noted that the upcoming meeting will be a significant occasion for broadening the country’s diplomatic horizons as part of the ongoing efforts under the “New Northern Policy” initiative.

The “New Northern Policy” was launched during the previous liberal administration of President Moon Jae-in, aiming to strengthen cooperation with Central Asian countries in the context of fostering peace and shared prosperity across Eurasia.

Minister Cho also emphasized that the summit will not only deepen collaboration with Central Asian states but also lay the groundwork for engagement in areas such as supply chain diversification and enhanced support for ethnic Korean communities residing in the region.