Bishkek, Sept. 16, 2026 /Kabar/. The Seoul Declaration has been signed following the "Central Asia – Republic of Korea" summit.
The signing ceremony was attended by President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae Myung.
The leaders held discussions on strengthening cooperation between the Republic of Korea and Central Asia, as well as on key issues regarding the regional and international agenda.
The heads of state acknowledged that, amidst an increasingly complex and volatile international environment at both global and regional levels, there is a growing need to further deepen mutually beneficial cooperation between the Republic of Korea and Central Asia—a strategically interconnected region. They emphasized the importance of strengthening a complementary and mutually beneficial partnership that leverages the respective strengths of each party and welcomed the elevation of the "Republic of Korea – Central Asia" cooperation format to the summit level. The Republic of Korea and the Central Asian states share long-standing historical ties, including exchanges along the Silk Road, as well as special bonds forged through the presence of Koryo-saram—ethnic Koreans living in Central Asia. Building on these historical ties, the parties have steadily developed bilateral relations across a wide range of fields since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992.
The Republic of Korea and the Central Asian countries have institutionalized a platform for regular multilateral consultations through the "Republic of Korea – Central Asia" Cooperation Forum. Established in 2007 at the level of deputy foreign ministers and subsequently elevated to the ministerial level in 2019, the Forum plays a key role—engaging both public and private sectors—in promoting practical cooperation across various areas and serves as a foundation for further institutional development.
The leaders declared that the holding of the first "Republic of Korea – Central Asia" Summit marks a significant historical milestone in elevating cooperation between the Republic of Korea and the Central Asian states to a new level, and establishes a solid foundation for the continued advancement of relations between them.
