1. The launching ceremony of the Preparatory Committee for the Republic of Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Secretariat took place in Seoul on June 24. The Secretariat, when set up, will seek to usher in the “version 3.0 era” of the ROK-Central Asia cooperation by institutionalizing comprehensive cooperation among the ROK and five Central Asian countries.

◦ The launching ceremony brought together some 40 people, including Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Kim Hong-kyun of the Foreign Ministry; the ROK’s lawmakers; the (acting) Ambassadors to the ROK from the five Central Asian countries; and leading figures from the political, public, business and media sectors of the countries concerned.

◦ At the event, Deputy Minister Kim, calling Central Asia, “the heart of the Eurasian continent” seeing a rapid development, the ROK’s highly important partner for the fulfillment of its Eurasia Initiative, proposed that the two sides jointly build a new path toward peace, prosperity, creation and unity.

2. The ROK is the first country that the five Central Asian countries have embarked on negotiations with on setting a permanent multilateral secretariat participated by all of the five countries. The secretariat, when established, is expected to help further consolidate the ROK’s partnership with the Central Asian countries in a mutually beneficial manner and thereby contribute to the ROK’s efforts to fulfill its Eurasia Initiative aimed at peace and prosperity in Eurasia.

3. With the Preparatory Committee for the ROK-Central Asia Cooperation Secretariat now launched, the ROK government will consult with the five Central Asian countries on the legal nature and main functions of the secretariat with a view to launching it in 2016, which marks the tenth anniversary of the ROK-Central Asia Cooperation Forum.


* unofficial translation