DUSHANBE, 01.12.2021 (NIAT Khovar) – Yesterday, was the last day of the 14th Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Central Asia and the Republic of Korea Cooperation Forum, which took place in Dushanbe.

The meeting participants agreed that the Central Asia-the Republic of Korea Cooperation Forum is enlarging its capacity, as well as reaching its goals year after year.

The parties expressed satisfaction with the exchange of views that took place in the spirit of friendship, openness and pragmatism.

The forum also hosted four plenary expert sessions in the fields of forestry, carbon neutrality, health, and digitalization.

An important step forward was the adoption of the Forum Secretariat’s Action Plan for 2022 in support of projects in six promising areas of cooperation for the medium and long term period. They cover such areas of cooperation as transport and logistics, energy, industrial modernization and diversification, climate change and the environment, health and medicine, education, culture and tourism.

According to the unanimous decision of the parties, Rhee Jong Kook was approved as the Director of the Secretariat.

The meeting participants noted the effectiveness of the meetings of the working groups of sectoral ministries and departments, as well as the preparatory meeting of the Deputy Foreign Ministers of the Central Asia and the Republic of Korea to discuss the substantive part of the 14th Forum.

The participants expressed satisfaction with the work of the Business Council of the Secretariat of the Forum for Central Asian Cooperation with the Republic of Korea, within which the first Business Forum in the 5 + 1 format was held in Dushanbe on November 29 at the suggestion of the Tajik side.

Following the meeting, the ministers adopted a Joint Statement, which outlined the results of fruitful consultations in the framework of the meeting.

In accordance with the unanimous decision of the foreign ministers, the Republic of Korea took over the presidency of the 15th Cooperation Forum.

The initiative to create the format of Central Asia — the Republic of Korea Cooperation Forum was proposed by the Korean side in 2007 with the aim of expanding and strengthening ties between Central Asian countries and the Republic of Korea, as well as to develop regional cooperation.