- Korea and five Central Asian countries jointly adopted the “Korea-Central Asia Future AI and Science and Technology Partnership Initiative”.

- They plan to strengthen cooperation on AI innovation in public services, AI transformation, and reducing the AI gap.

- They also plan to expand cooperation in S&T through personnel exchanges and joint research in climate, space, energy transition, and resource supply chains.

【Relevant National Task】 

26. Innovating systems to leap into the top five global S&T powerhouses.

The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister: Bae Kyung-hoon) announced on September 16 that Korea and five Central Asian countries* jointly adopted the “Korea-Central Asia Future AI and Science and Technology Partnership Initiative” at the First Korea-Central Asia Summit to lay the foundation for multilateral cooperation in AI and science and technology.

*Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan (in alphabetical order)

Korea is preparing for the future through bold investments in AI and science and technology. These include the “Three Mega Projects,” which focus on investment in semiconductors, physical AI, and AI data centers to secure a leading position in the global AI race, and the “Seven SEED Projects,” which aims to foster advanced technologies as future growth engines, recognizing them as seeds of innovation and critical assets for our economy and national security.

Central Asia also has a growing national interest in AI and science and technology as it actively pursues industrial diversification in manufacturing and services and the modernization of its infrastructure. In particular, as a resource-rich region with reserves of key minerals such as rare earth elements, Central Asia has high growth potential, a strong commitment to industrial advancement, and a geographical advantage of being located at the heart of Eurasia. Combining the needs and strengths of Korea and Central Asia is expected to create synergies in AI and science and technology cooperation.

Against this backdrop, MSIT held the Korea-Central Asia Future AI and Science and Technology Partnership Ministerial Meeting on September 14. During the meeting, MSIT and the ministries responsible for AI and S&T in the five Central Asian countries adopted the “Korea-Central Asia Future AI and Science and Technology Partnership Initiative (AI and S&T Initiative),” reaching an agreement to expand mutually beneficial cooperation in AI and science and technology.

Through the AI and S&T Initiative, Korea and Central Asia jointly recognized that AI and science and technology are the critical drivers of sustainable development and prosperity in both regions and agreed that AI has the potential to realize the “Global AI Basic Society,” where AI helps ensure the basic rights of all individuals. Based on this shared understanding and mutual commitment to cooperation, MSIT and Central Asia plan to strengthen their future partnership in the fields of AI and science and technology.

In the AI sector, MSIT and the five Central Asian countries plan to identify collaborative projects to drive AI-based innovation in public services that affect all aspects of people’s lives. They also intend to cooperate on building capacity to accelerate the AI transformation in the industrial and public sectors, addressing the AI gap across society, and creating an AI-enabling environment.

Furthermore, in the science and technology sector, both sides plan to focus on areas where they can create synergies, such as future climate technologies, space, energy transition, and the establishment of stable resource supply chains, while nurturing future innovative talent through personnel exchanges and conducting joint research that reflects each country’s needs and circumstances.

At the same time, both sides plan to share policies, systems, and best practices to ensure that successful collaborative outcomes in the AI and science and technology sectors lead to further research, technology demonstration, and commercialization so that ultimately economic and industrial value can be created. They also plan to work together to expand their cooperative partnerships to broader sectors including industry and academia.

As the first multilateral cooperation initiative in the fields of AI and science and technology adopted between Korea and Central Asia, this AI and S&T Initiative is of great significance in that it lays the groundwork for various innovation stakeholders including those from industry and academia to enter the Central Asian region and pursue concrete cooperation projects with their counterparts.

“By adopting the AI and S&T Initiative at the First Korea-Central Asia Summit, we have established a ‘Silk Road of the Future’ that brings together the strengths of Korea and Central Asia,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bae said. “We will do our utmost to ensure that cooperation between the two regions leads to mutually beneficial growth through innovation in AI and science and technology and the establishment of key supply chains.”

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division (Phone: +82-44-202-4034, E-mail: msitmedia@korea.kr) of the Ministry of Science and ICT.

Please refer to the attached PDF.