Diplomacy, gas, fertilizer, shipbuilding and infrastructure in focus during Berdimuhamedov's first state visit
Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov's first state visit to South Korea expanded diplomatic and economic ties from cooperation in energy and plant construction to include shipbuilding, transportation, logistics and water infrastructure.
The Turkmen president attended the Korea-Turkmenistan Business Forum at Lotte Hotel Seoul on Tuesday alongside South Korean Prime Minister Han Seong-sook, Daewoo E&C Chairman Jung Won-ju and about 180 government and business representatives from the two countries.
The two sides signed 14 memorandums of understanding covering projects including modernization of the Karakum Canal, transportation, fiber-optic cable production, steel pipe production and gas-facility maintenance.
The visit also saw the conclusion of an investment protection agreement that South Korea and Turkmenistan had pursued for 16 years. The agreement sets protections and dispute-resolution procedures for investors, strengthening the legal framework for bilateral investment.
The two countries also expanded their cooperation to include railways, logistics, new-city development, water management, forestry, artificial intelligence, and science and technology.
Energy and chemical plants have long formed a major pillar of bilateral economic cooperation, with the latest agreements broadening ties into transportation, logistics, water management and technology.
“Turkmenistan ... has built substantial cooperation and achieved results with Korea in energy and chemical plants,” the South Korean prime minister said at the event, which explored greater Korean participation in fertilizer and gas-chemical plants aimed at creating higher-value products from Turkmenistan's natural gas resources.
Han said cooperation that began with cargo shipbuilding could expand into Caspian Sea port modernization, environmentally friendly transportation, smart logistics and smart-city development.
Daewoo E&C separately signed an MOU with Turkmenistan's State Committee for Water Management to cooperate on modernizing about 250 kilometers of the lower section of the Karakum Canal.
Diplomatic boost
During summit talks with President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday, the Turkmen president emphasized diplomacy as a key pillar of relations between the two countries.
“One area that we consider particularly important is diplomacy,” he said, describing his first state visit to South Korea since taking office in 2022 as a “meaningful opportunity” to further develop bilateral cooperation.
Berdimuhamedov highlighted South Korea's support for Turkmenistan's permanent neutrality and its initiatives at the United Nations, while saying Ashgabat also supports Seoul's initiatives on major international issues.
The country was declared a permanently neutral state on Dec. 12, 1995, through UN General Assembly Resolution 50/80. Turkmenistan is the only country whose neutrality is officially recognized by the UN.
He also reiterated Turkmenistan's support for Lee's END Initiative, centered on exchange, normalization of relations and denuclearization, saying issues on the Korean Peninsula should be resolved through “peaceful dialogue and diplomatic means.”
The initiative is a Korean Peninsula policy framework that seeks to pursue exchange, normalization of relations and denuclearization without a fixed order, with dialogue and peace as central priorities.
Berdimuhamedov thanked South Korea for supporting Turkmenistan-sponsored resolutions at the UN General Assembly, including Seoul's participation as a co-sponsor of a resolution on the International Year of Law, 2028.
The UN General Assembly adopted by consensus a Turkmenistan-initiated resolution designating 2028 as the Year of International Law on July 24. Co-sponsored by 78 member states, the initiative is aimed at promoting respect for international law, peace and multilateral cooperation.
South Korean officials also thanked Turkmenistan for helping South Korean nationals and their family members to leave Iran safely overland during heightened tensions in the Middle East.
sanjaykumar@heraldcorp.com
