The event was organized by the Center for Strategic Research (CSR) under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, together with the Secretariat of the Central Asia–Republic of Korea Cooperation Forum.
The forum brought together representatives of leading research institutions from the countries of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea, as well as members of the expert community, international organizations, and foundations.
Participants exchanged views on cooperation in industrial partnership, transport and logistics, energy, the climate and environmental agenda, and education and human capital development.
Opening the forum, CSR Director Khayriddin Usmonzoda noted that over nearly two decades since its inception, the "Central Asia–Korea" cooperation format has become an important mechanism for strengthening mutual understanding and trust between the two regions. He expressed confidence that the upcoming first "Central Asia–Republic of Korea" Summit in Seoul will mark a historic milestone, taking this partnership to a qualitatively new level.
Younguk Kim, Executive Vice President of the Forum Secretariat, highlighted the steady progress of regional cooperation and emphasized the important role of analytical dialogue in strengthening its institutional foundations.
Executive Vice President of the Forum Secretariat Yong-guk Kim pointed to the steady development of cooperation and highlighted the important role of expert engagement in its institutional strengthening
In his address, IICA Head of Department Kakhramon Allaberganov described the "Central Asia–Korea" format as one of the most mature and sought-after mechanisms of the region's engagement with external partners. He emphasized that the strength of this partnership is confirmed by its economic dimension: over the past three decades, the volume of mutual trade has grown more than 45-fold.
IICA Leading Research Fellow Ibragim Ibragimov noted that humanitarian engagement between Uzbekistan and Korea serves as a telling example of a mutually beneficial and long-term partnership. In his assessment, educational diplomacy, workforce training, and labor mobility are laying a solid foundation for bringing peoples closer together and strengthening mutual trust.
Senior Research Fellow Nodir Abdusattorov drew attention to cooperation between the countries of Central Asia and the Korea in the water and environmental sphere, pointing to the results achieved and to the prospects for further engagement.
Summing up the forum, participants reaffirmed their readiness to further strengthen cooperation between the countries and expressed confidence in the successful holding of the upcoming Summit in Seoul.
