The first Central Asia – Republic of Korea Summit was held in Seoul on September 16, 2026, bringing together the heads of state of the five Central Asian countries and the Republic of Korea. President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov put forward a number of proposals to expand cooperation in education, science, technology and other areas.
In his address, the President of Turkmenistan highlighted the importance of sharing experience between the Central Asian countries and the Republic of Korea in urban development and modern infrastructure, with particular attention to the “smart city diplomacy” initiative. Other key areas of cooperation included industry, agriculture, environmental protection, water resources, healthcare, services and tourism.
To strengthen cooperation in education, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov proposed developing new forms of partnership between higher education institutions in Central Asia and the Republic of Korea, including dual-degree programmes.
Particular attention was also given to enhancing young people’s digital skills. Among the proposals were the organization of joint academic Olympiads, competitions and other educational events.
In the field of science, an initiative was put forward to expand joint research, scientific projects and research activities involving young scientists. The establishment of a dedicated institute to support and promote young people’s innovative ideas was also proposed.
The summit also addressed other areas of economic and technological cooperation. Discussions included processing raw materials from Central Asian countries using Korean technologies, jointly developing natural resources, expanding industrial enterprises and developing transport and logistics corridors. Attention was also given to joint projects in artificial intelligence, digitalization, green technologies and climate change adaptation.
The meeting resulted in the adoption of the Seoul Declaration of the first Central Asia – Republic of Korea Summit. A number of joint documents were also adopted to promote cooperation in artificial intelligence, science and future technologies, climate, energy and environmental protection.
Source: TDH
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