President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, speaking at the opening of a Kazakhstan-Korea roundtable with business representatives from both countries, identified the main priority of his work as head of state — accelerated infrastructure and construction development of the republic, reports infohub.kz.
In his welcoming remarks to the participants, Tokayev focused in detail on the country's economic modernization program and named priority areas for deepening Kazakhstan-Korea relations.
"Industrial cooperation has become one of the strongest foundations of our economic partnership. Today our joint portfolio includes 51 projects in automotive, mechanical engineering, metallurgy and other sectors worth over $4 billion. (...) Our goal is to create a fully integrated industrial ecosystem covering localized components, advanced materials, electrical equipment and electronics, aimed at serving the broader Eurasian market. I invite Korean companies to take advantage of these opportunities and expand their production in Kazakhstan," the president said.
Construction and urban development were identified in the speech as one of the promising areas of bilateral cooperation.
"Your country has world-class experience in construction, engineering and infrastructure development. Korean companies are known for delivering complex projects quickly, with high quality and using advanced technologies. Kazakhstan is now entering an important stage of infrastructure development. We intend to significantly accelerate the pace of construction across the country — from transport and utilities to housing and social infrastructure. I consider this one of the key priorities of my work as president," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
The head of state noted that plans call for turning Kazakhstan into one large construction site, with particular attention to social facilities such as hospitals, children's rehabilitation centers, multifunctional medical centers, modern schools, sports facilities and transport infrastructure.
Recall that the day before, at the invitation of President Lee Jae-myung, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived on a state visit to the Republic of Korea. During the visit to Seoul, the president awarded the Order of Dostyk, II degree, to state and public figures of South Korea. And today the head of state held a meeting with Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea Han Duck-soo, where they discussed cooperation between the countries.