South Korea and Turkey work closely together on the “K Silk Road Initiative” (full text)

(Ashgabat = Edaily reporter Park Tae-jin) South Korea and Turkmenistan are working closely together to promote the “South Korea-Central Asia K Silk Road Cooperation Initiative”, a strategy for Central Asia that South Korea first announced on the 10th (local time). I decided to do this.

South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol, who is on a state visit to Turkmenistan, held a summit meeting with President Berdimuhamedov in the capital Ashgabat and adopted a joint statement containing the above content.

South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol and Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov shake hands at a joint press conference held after the South Korea-Turkmenistan summit at the Presidential Palace in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on the afternoon of the 10th (local time). (Photo = Yonhap News Agency)

The following is the full text of the joint statement.

At the invitation of Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol will pay a state visit to Turkmenistan from June 10 to 11, 2024.

On June 10, 2024, the leaders of the two countries held a summit in a friendly and warm atmosphere, discussing the expansion and deepening of cooperation in the economic, social and cultural fields between the two countries, as well as regional and international issues of common concern. The leaders of the two countries agreed to further develop the mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries and promote common prosperity.

President Berdimuhamedov supports the South Korean government’s first Greater Central Asia strategy, the “South Korea-Central Asia K Silk Road Cooperation Initiative,” announced in June 2024, and the two governments are working closely together to implement the initiative.

The leaders of the two countries attached particular importance to strengthening the core role of the United Nations in addressing international issues, including maintaining international peace and security, sustainable development, and preventing and peacefully resolving conflicts.

The two leaders confirmed their common desire to enhance mutual understanding and trust and strengthen regional and international stability, and agreed that international issues can only be resolved through peaceful diplomatic means and methods.

President Yoon Seok-ryol noted that Turkmenistan’s territorially neutral foreign policy plays an important role in developing peaceful, trusting, friendly and mutually beneficial relations among countries, and the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 78 on March 21, 2024, 266, welcoming the holding of the International Peace and Confidence Forum in Turkmenistan in December 2025.

The two sides agreed that a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue and the complete denuclearization of North Korea would benefit not only the Korean Peninsula but also world peace and prosperity. In this regard, the two sides stressed the importance of fulfilling international obligations stipulated in relevant UN Security Council resolutions. The President of Turkmenistan expressed support for the South Korean government’s “bold plan to achieve a nuclear-free, peaceful and prosperous Korean Peninsula.”

The two leaders affirmed the similar positions of the two countries on various international and regional issues and agreed to hold regular policy consultations to discuss international relations issues.

The two leaders reiterated the importance of mutual exchanges in the economic field and agreed to expand mutually beneficial economic cooperation. In particular, the two leaders agreed to increase joint efforts to strengthen cooperation in the fields of natural gas and chemicals, shipbuilding, textiles, transportation, information and communications, and environmental protection.

The leaders of the two countries agreed that cooperation in the fields of construction and infrastructure plays an important role in the economic development of the two countries, and agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fields of construction and infrastructure between the two countries on the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding on Infrastructure and New City Cooperation.

The two leaders agreed to work together to ensure the success of large-scale construction projects being implemented in Turkmenistan, including petrochemical, environmental protection plants and desulfurization facilities.

The leaders of the two countries evaluated the agreement to increase transportation rights as an important milestone in promoting cooperation between the two countries, and reached consensus on revitalizing the exchange of human and material resources between the two countries.

The leaders of the two countries noted the need to promote cooperation in the energy sector, attract investment and develop new industries to achieve international carbon neutrality.

To this end, the two leaders agreed to establish a mutually beneficial economic cooperation relationship between the two countries on the basis of the Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Government of Turkmenistan signed on October 31, 2023.

The two leaders welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on a framework for trade and investment promotion between the two governments and agreed that the two countries should conclude an agreement on mutual promotion and protection of investments as soon as possible.

The two leaders evaluated the contribution of the Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum to strengthening mutual trust and revitalizing exchanges between Korea and Central Asian countries, and announced that the 16th Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum will be held in Ashgabat in November 2023. They expressed satisfaction with the successful holding of this event and contributed to the realization of the unlimited potential of young people in Korea and Central Asia and the realization of a sustainable future. The two leaders agreed to work together to develop the Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum in the future, and the President of Turkmenistan prayed for the success of the first Korea-Central Asia Summit in 2025.

The two leaders stressed the importance of developing parliamentary diplomacy between South Korea and Central Asian countries. To this end, the two leaders will hold the second South Korea-China Summit in Ashgabat in the second half of 2024, with the goal of strengthening partnership and mutual trust as well as trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation to promote peace between South Korea and China. We welcome the convening of the Conference of Speakers of Asian National Parliaments.

The two leaders recognized that people-to-people exchanges are an important means for building strong long-term relations between the two countries and agreed to expand culture, science, education, health, sports, and tourism.

The President of Turkmenistan invited the South Korean side to attend the international summit forum commemorating the 300th anniversary of the birth of Maktuguli Pragi, a famous Turkmen poet and thinker.

The leaders of the two countries expressed satisfaction with the results of President Yoon Seok-yeol’s state visit and the documents signed during the visit.

President Yoon expressed his gratitude to President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and the people of Turkmenistan for their warm reception and hospitality and invited the President of Turkmenistan to visit South Korea at a mutually convenient time. The President of Turkmenistan expressed his gratitude and accepted the invitation. The date of the visit will be coordinated through diplomatic channels.