Korea and Central Asian Leaders Adopt Seoul Declaration

South Korea and five Central Asian nations adopted the Seoul Declaration following their first summit in Seoul, agreeing to institutionalize regular meetings and expand economic and regional cooperation.

Key points

• Leaders agreed to hold future summits regularly once every two years, with Kazakhstan offering to host the second summit in Astana in 2028.
• The summit established a consultative mechanism for industry ministers in the C5+1 format and an MoU on supply chain cooperation.
• Participating states emphasized cooperation in critical minerals, energy, infrastructure, urban development, and digital transformation.
• Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and other regional leaders held bilateral talks to reinforce mutual ties.

Why it matters

This summit elevates diplomatic and economic relations between South Korea and Central Asian states to the leadership level, creating formal cooperation frameworks in critical minerals, energy, and supply chains.