(KPL/Yonhap) Republic of Korean Prime Minister Han Seong-sook called Tuesday for expanded cooperation with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in critical minerals, artificial intelligence (AI) and other areas, as she attended business roundtable meetings held on the sidelines of the first summit between Korea and Central Asian nations.

"As President Lee Jae Myung said, critical minerals serve as strategic assets underpinning industry, technology and national security," Han said during a business roundtable meeting attended by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and other officials and business people from the two countries.

"Building on the trust established over decades of stable trade in energy resources, such as crude oil and uranium, it is now time to expand the horizon of our cooperation into the realm of critical minerals, including lithium and rare metals, which are essential for future high-tech industries," she said.

Should Kazakhstan's abundant resources be combined with Republic of Korea's cutting-edge technologies, the two countries can build a critical minerals industry ecosystem that spans exploration, processing and the production of high-value-added materials, she said.

"If this is achieved, it will advance Kazakhstan's industrial development and create a mutually beneficial model for responding to uncertainties in the global supply chain," Han said.

Later in the day, Han attended a business forum with Uzbekistan that brought together Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and other officials and business leaders of the two countries, and made a similar call for expanding cooperation in critical minerals.

"Uzbekistan is a resource powerhouse that possesses minerals, such as tungsten, molybdenum, and lithium, that are essential for high-tech industries," Han said. "By establishing a critical mineral cooperation platform and combining Korea's mineral processing and material technologies with Uzbekistan's resources, we can advance Uzbekistan's industrial development while jointly building a stable supply chain for critical minerals."

Han also proposed expanding cooperation with Uzbekistan in AI and digital technologies to modernize manufacturing and jointly train skilled workers.

During a business roundtable with Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedow, Han called for expanding cooperation into petrochemicals and water management to support Turkmenistan's industrial development.

Han also said cooperation that began with cargo ship construction could expand into the modernization of Caspian Sea ports, eco-friendly transportation and smart logistics, while Republic of Korean digital technologies could be applied to smart city development, her office said.

KPL