Korea and Central Asian Countries Launch Permanent Ministerial Meetings on Industry
The Republic of Korea and the Central Asian countries plan to institutionalize dialogue on the real sector of the economy by creating a regular consultative channel—the "C5+Korea" Industry Ministerial Meeting. This was discussed during talks between Moon Shin-hak, Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry, and Resources of the Republic of Korea, and Isojon Kurbonzoda, First Deputy Minister of Industry and New Technologies of Tajikistan, in Seoul.
The new ministerial platform will bring together relevant ministries from Korea, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. A six-party business summit is planned to be held in parallel with the first Central Asia–Korea Heads of State Summit, scheduled for September 16, 2026. This dialogue platform aims to intensify direct B2B interaction, attract investment, and accelerate the implementation of joint technological and manufacturing projects.
The talks between the Tajik and Korean delegations in Seoul on August 11-12 were part of the preparations for the September summit of heads of state. In addition to establishing multilateral channels, the parties discussed bilateral technological partnerships and supply chain diversification. Critical mineral resources were identified as a key area of cooperation, where the region's abundant raw material potential is planned to be combined with Korean exploration, production, and advanced processing technologies. 
