Foreign media on Kazakhstan: Seoul Declaration sets 30-year Korea-Central Asia agenda on minerals, AI; Kazakhstan plans national crypto analytics center to track digital asset flows

The Korea Times: Seoul Declaration sets 30-year Korea-Central Asia agenda on minerals, energy, AI

South Korea and five Central Asian countries adopted the Seoul Declaration on Wednesday, setting out a 30-year vision for cooperation and establishing regular leaders-level talks, The Korea Times reports.

The declaration, adopted at the inaugural Korea-Central Asia Summit in Seoul, covers critical minerals, supply chains, energy, trade, artificial intelligence, digital transformation and security.

Kazakhstan offered to host the next summit in Astana in 2028, with the other countries agreeing.

“Building on the foundation of cooperation accumulated over the past 30 years, we must now prepare together for the next 30 years,” South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said.

Lee also proposed building a “new Silk Road” by expanding trade beyond automobiles, energy and raw materials and developing critical-mineral value chains.

“If we walk together, the road from 1,500 years ago will reopen as a new Silk Road,” Lee said.

The Times of Central Asia: Kazakhstan to Receive Maximum Weight in New JPMorgan Bond Index

According to The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan will receive the maximum 8% country weight in JPMorgan’s new GBI-EM Edge index, potentially bringing more foreign investors into its tenge-denominated government bond market.