Lee calls for renewed spirit of 'Silk Road' to bind East with West at Central Asia Summit

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SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday called for strengthening cooperation between South Korea and Central Asian nations, highlighting what he called the spirit of the Silk Road that once bound the East and West through exchanges.

The South Korean president made the remarks in an opening speech at the inaugural South Korea-Central Asia Summit, attended by the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to discuss cooperation.

Through the summit, Seoul seeks to diversify global supply chains by combining the region's rich reserves of critical minerals and energy resources with South Korea's exploration and processing skills.

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during the South Korea-Central Asia Summit in Seoul on Sept. 16, 2026. (Yonhap)

"Today, the world is ushering in a new era of upheaval in which the economy, including supply chains, energy, markets and technology, and security are closely interconnected," Lee said.

At a time like this, "the 'Silk Road spirit' of Central Asia that connected people, technologies and cultures of the East and West as one is needed more than ever," he insisted. "Based on the foundation of cooperation built over the past three decades, we should prepare for another three decades together."

South Korea and the five Central Asian countries have built extensive cooperation and trust in trade, investment, infrastructure, education and culture through long-standing ties, Lee noted.

"The respective strengths of South Korea and Central Asia will provide unlimited opportunities to jointly address our respective challenges," Lee said, adding that by working together, they could accelerate the pursuit of mutual prosperity.

President Lee Jae Myung (3rd from R) poses for a photo with the presidents of five Central Asian nations during the South Korea-Central Asia Summit in Seoul on Sept. 16, 2026. (Yonhap)

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Lee calls for renewed spirit of 'Silk Road' to bind East with West at Central Asia Summit

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首尔，9月16日（韩联社）——韩国总统李在明周三呼吁加强韩国与中亚国家之间的合作，强调他所谓的“丝绸之路精神”，这种精神曾经通过交流将东西方联系在一起。

韩国总统在首届韩国—中亚峰会开幕致辞中发表了上述讲话。出席此次峰会的还有哈萨克斯坦、乌兹别克斯坦、土库曼斯坦、吉尔吉斯斯坦和塔吉克斯坦的总统，他们共同探讨了合作问题。

通过此次峰会，首尔希望将该地区丰富的关键矿产和能源资源储量与韩国的勘探和加工技术相结合，从而实现全球供应链多元化。

2026年9月16日，韩国总统李在明在首尔举行的韩国—中亚峰会上发表讲话。（韩联社）

李说：“今天，世界正迎来一个动荡的新时代，经济（包括供应链）、能源、市场和技术以及安全都紧密相连。”

他强调，在当今时代，“连接东西方人民、技术和文化的‘丝绸之路精神’比以往任何时候都更加重要”。“基于过去三十年建立的合作基础，我们应该携手共创下一个三十年。”

李指出，韩国与中亚五国通过长期的联系，在贸易、投资、基础设施、教育和文化等领域建立了广​​泛的合作与互信。

李表示：“韩国和中亚各自的优势将为共同应对我们各自的挑战提供无限机遇。”他还补充说，通过合作，他们可以加快追求共同繁荣的步伐。

2026年9月16日，韩国总统李在明（右三）在首尔举行的韩国—中亚峰会上与五位中亚国家元首合影。（韩联社）

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李在中亚峰会上呼吁重振“丝绸之路”精神，连接东西方。