Kazakhstan and the Republic of Korea have signed a package of commercial agreements worth a total of $19 billion. The announcement was made by Kazakh President Qasym-Jomart Toqaev during talks with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in Seoul, according to infohub.kz.
The meeting between the two heads of state followed a bilateral roundtable with business representatives from both countries.
"As for bilateral relations, during this visit commercial agreements worth $19 billion were signed. We are satisfied with our work with Korean investors and are ready to continue working with them. There are good plans for hotel construction, an oil refinery and urban development. Particular attention is being paid to strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties," Toqaev said.
The two sides identified the development of a new megaproject — the city of Alatau in the Almaty Region — as a key area of bilateral development. The Kazakh president stressed that foreign investors would be provided with maximum legal security.
"Our plans are quite ambitious. In particular, we discussed in detail the further development of the Alatau City project. This is indeed a very important project to which we attach great significance. Provisions concerning the status of this city have been enshrined in the Constitution. Korean companies will be granted all legal guarantees," the Kazakh president noted.
During the conversation, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung expressed gratitude to the entire people of Kazakhstan and to Qasym-Jomart Toqaev personally for the decision to repatriate the remains of Korean national hero General Hong Beom-do to his historic homeland.
"We thank you for your decision to return the remains of General Hong Beom-do, who played a special role in Korea's history and in protecting the Korean people in difficult times. In Kazakhstan, Korean citizens were once received very warmly. We are grateful to you and to the entire Kazakh people for this," Lee Jae-myung stressed.
Toqaev, in turn, noted that more than 120,000 ethnic Koreans live in Kazakhstan, where they are active citizens and serve as a natural "living bridge" of friendship between Astana and Seoul.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that Qasym-Jomart Toqaev met with South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. At the meeting, he proposed doubling trade turnover with Korea and preparing a program through 2030, as well as developing nuclear power in Kazakhstan.