President Park Geun-hye shakes hands with President Nursultan Nazarbayev of the Republic of Kazakhstan 

prior to their talks on June 19. (photos on courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae)

President Park Geun-hye returned on the evening of Feb. 22 from her tour of three Central Asian nations: Uzbekistan June 16-18, Kazakhstan June 18-20, and Turkmenistan June 21-22. President Park’s latest overseas trip was geared up to further deepen ties with the three Central Asian countries previous Korean governments had established and to materialize the so-called Eurasia Initiative.

Korean business leaders accompanied President Park on a sales diplomacy tour. Among the achievements President Park has made during her tour were the existing and new business collaboration projects valued at an estimated 13 trillion won, including the development of the Surgil gas reserves and construction of a combined thermal power plant with Uzbekistan; the signing of power procurement contracts valued at some 19 trillion won with Kazakhstan; and the establishment of economic cooperation projects worth some 12.7 trillion won with Turkmenistan. 

President Park’s visit was designed to help enhance collaboration with the three Central Asian nations, key to the implementation of the Korean Government’s Eurasia Initiative. It served as an opportunity to help expand participation by Korean businesses in cooperative economic projects, reconfirm steadfast mutual trust and bonds with the leaders of the three nations, and take cooperation between Korea and Central Asia to new heights, Cheong Wa Dae officials said. 

President Park Meets with Uzbek President Islam Karimov

President Park and President Islam Karimov of the Republic of Uzbekistan held a summit on June 17. It was the 13th bilateral summit since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1992. 

During their summit, the two leaders noted bilateral cooperation in large-scale projects currently underway, including the development of gas reserves and the construction of a gas chemical complex in the Surgil field, as well as the construction of a combined thermal power plant in Talimarjan and a gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant. They agreed to continue to work together for the seamless implementation of the ongoing projects.

President Park Geun-hye holds talks with Uzbek President Islam 

Karimov in Tashkent on June 17 along with their ministers.

The two leaders also agreed to continue to work together to push ahead with new projects for the development of the Kandym gas field, the building of a gas processing plant and the construction of a photovoltaic power station. 

At the summit, the two presidents reach-ed an agreement to expand mutually beneficial economic cooperation under the banner of Eurasian diplomacy. Going beyond the energy sector, cooperation will be carried out in such various areas as ICT, including e-government, the environment, textiles, and infrastructure, including roads and railroads.

In addition, President Park secured support from the Uzbek Government for Korea’s Eurasian Initiative. She discussed with President Karimov various measures for realizing the Initiative in partnership with the countries of Central Asia, the heart of the Eurasian continent. The president also confirmed the support of the Uzbek Government for zero tolerance of the possession of nuclear weapons by North Korea and for the Initiative for Peaceful Unification on the Korean Peninsula, which she announced in Dresden earlier this year.

Park’s Meeting with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev

President Park Geun-hye and President Nursultan Nazarbayev of the Republic of Kazakhstan held a summit, the 12th one between the presidents of the two countries, on June 19. 

The two nations have been actively working together to seamlessly carry out three cooperative projects — the construction of the Balkhash coal-fired power plant and the Atyrau petrochemical complex as well as exploration of Zambil offshore oilfields — as successful examples of bilateral cooperation.

On top of this, the two nations are making efforts to reap mutual benefits by actively carrying out new projects, including the expansion of oil production at the Tengiz oil field and the joint exploration of a lead and zinc mine in Karagandy Province. 

As the two nations have complementary economic structures, they are seeking to generate new synergy using Kazakhstan’s resources and Korea’s technologies. 

The two leaders also agreed to make endeavors to expand the areas of collaboration into healthcare, forestry and infrastructure, which will contribute to the shared progress and industrial diversification of Kazakhstan.

Efforts are continuing for the invigoration of people-to-people and cultural exchanges and for the reduction of obstacles to investment and entry by each country’s businesses into the other’s market. President Park’s visit added several key outcomes to these efforts, including the signing of an agreement on visa waivers for ordinary passport holders, the conclusion of a draft for an agreement on temporary employment and the near conclusion of a draft for an exchange of notes on the issuance of multiple-entry visas. 

Since voluntarily giving up its nuclear weapons and taking its proper place within the international community, Kazakhstan has achieved astonishing economic growth. In reaffirming its position of zero tolerance for possession of nuclear weapons by North Korea and backing President Park’s Dresden Initiative, Kazakhstan has also demonstrated firm support for the Korean Government with regard to issues on the Korean Peninsula. 

While continuing its policy of diplomatic engagement with Eurasia focusing on mutual prosperity and cooperation for the continent, the Korean Government is seeking to institutionalize cooperation with the five nations of the Central Asian region.

Park’s Talks with Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdim-uhamedow

President Park met with Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow in Ashkhabad on June 20 and discussed bilateral cooperative projects and ways for the two governments to provide support for Korean businesses in Turkmenistan. Park became the first Korean president to visit the Central Asian country with the world’s fourth biggest gas reserves. 

President Park talks with Kurkmenistan President Gurbanguly 

Berdimuhamedow in an extended summit in Ashkhabad on June 20.

The two leaders discussed ways of participating in the development of gas reserves. They agreed on new economic cooperation projects, including the implementation of a $3 billion gas liquefaction plant project. 

Korea was awarded the right to market petrochemical products and sulfur worth $7.75 billion from chemical and gas desulfurization facilities that Korean companies are now building in the Central Asian country.