The Kazakh delegation began its work with a meeting between the Speaker
The Chairman of the Mazhilis of the Republic of Kazakhstan H.E. Erlan Koshanov paid an official visit to the Republic of Korea on September 18-19, 2023.
The Kazakh delegation began its work with a meeting between the Speaker of the Mazhilis and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea Han Duk-soo. Erlan Koshanov noted that the state visit of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Korea in 2021 gave rise to an expanded strategic partnership between the two countries. Today, Korea is one of the six largest investors in the economy of Kazakhstan.
“Our President recently delivered his State of the Nation Address. He set the task of transitioning the country's economy to a new model in the near future. The main emphasis is on the development of production, energy, banking and IT sectors. Korea is a recognized world leader in these industries, and we are interested in your experience. All this opens up new prospects for deepening Kazakh-Korean cooperation”, said the Chairman of the Mazhilis.
Next, Erlan Koshanov met with the Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, Kim Jin-pyo. The Speaker of the Mazhilis informed his colleague about the political and economic transformations in Kazakhstan, including the strengthening of the role of Parliament as a result of the constitutional reform.
“Strong partnerships have been established bet Parliamentary friendship groups are aween the Parliaments of our countries.ctively working, substantive dialogue and exchange of legislative experience at the committee level are intensifying”, the Speaker of the Mazhilis emphasized.
The same day, the Kazakh delegation met with the President of Corporate Affairs of Samsung Electronics Park Sung Hee. Current and future large-scale projects of the company in Kazakhstan were discussed.
Erlan Koshanov also visited the Seoul National University of Science and Technology, a branch of which is planned to open in the near future at the university Korkyt ata in Kyzylorda. A meeting with the Kazakh students studying engineering specialties at Seoultech also took place here.
On September 19, 2023, Deputies of the Mazhilis headed by the Chairman of the Chamber, Erlan Koshanov, took part in the 1st Meeting of Speakers of Parliaments on cooperation between the Republic of Korea and the countries of Central Asia.
Speakers of the parliaments of Korea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan spoke at the event.
Representing the Kazakh delegation, Erlan Koshanov thanked the Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, Kim Jin-pyo, for the initiative to organize the summit. He noted that increasing comprehensive interaction with the countries of Central Asia and strengthening the potential of the region is one of the priorities of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy.
“President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev believes that the coming decade will be the most important stage for the Central Asian region. At the same time, it is very important for us to make the most of our economic opportunities and our overall potential”, said Erlan Koshanov.
The main session of the meeting was devoted to the priorities of regional cooperation between Korea and the countries of Central Asia in the near future.
“Topical issues of our cooperation should be the fight against climate change, preservation of the environment and biodiversity, efficient use and protection of water resources, including transboundary ones”, Erlan Koshanov addressed his colleagues at the summit.
He noted that residents of Central Asia are already facing the negative consequences of the environmental disaster of the Aral Sea, melting glaciers and land degradation, which can undermine the food security of the region. In this regard, the Chairman of the Mazhilis called for an exchange of experience with leading Korean specialists.
Discussion of the issues continued in two special sessions. Participants discussed the possibilities of continuous regional economic interaction between Central Asia and the Republic of Korea as well as prospects for cooperation in the field of digital transformation. The Speaker of the Mazhilis emphasized that Kazakhstan has begun to implement a new economic model initiated by the Head of State in the Address. And here our country sees great prospects for cooperation with the Republic of Korea in the field of innovation, green technologies, energy, industrial production, IT and banking sectors.
In conclusion, Erlan Koshanov noted that currently the economy, politics, and cultural ties are actively developing in the Central Asian region. All this opens up great opportunities to expand the scope of regional interaction with the Republic of Korea.
As a result of the event, the Joint Declaration of the First Meeting of Speakers of Parliaments of the Countries of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea was adopted on the topic “Development of mutually beneficial relations oriented to the future.”