Prime Minister Han on a quest to secure Central Asian energy
Prime Minister Han Seung-soo leaves for Central Asia yesterday from Incheon International Airport. [YONHAP]
The office announced yesterday that during the 10-day trip, running through May 20, Han will visit a total of four countries — Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan in Central Asia and Azerbaijan on the far side of the Caspian Sea — to discuss joint development of energy and natural resources while trying to improve economic and diplomatic cooperation with those nations.
Han’s first destination is Uzbekistan, according to officials from the Prime Minister’s Office. During a three-day stay through Thursday, Han will call on both President Islam Karimov and Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyayev to discuss a long-term contract to purchase uranium.
The next stop will be Kazakhstan. There, Han will meet President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Prime Minister Karim Masimov to pitch closer ties with the country. He also plans to visit Korean builders at local construction sites and then take part in an IT business forum.
He will leave Kazakhstan on Sunday to hold a meeting with the president of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov.
Han will become the first Korean prime minister to make an official visit to the country since the two countries began diplomatic relations in the early 1990s.
On Sunday, Han will head to Azerbaijan for a two-day visit. The prime minister will meet with President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Artur Rasizade to discuss joint resource exploration and construction of infrastructure such as roads and buildings.
The prime minister is to be accompanied by a total of 13 ranking government officials, including First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Kwon Jong-rak; Second Vice Minister of Knowledge Economy Lee Jae-hoon; Vice Minister of the Environment Lee Byung-wook; and Vice Minister of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs Kwon Do-youp.
Sixty-four businessmen, including Hur Dong-soo, chairman of GS Caltex, and Kolon president Lee Woong-yul, will also go along.
“I will support businessmen who promote energy diplomacy with the countries,” Han said.
“Through talks with the heads of the nations, I will try to guarantee stable and consistent energy diplomacy with the countries.”
By Park Shin-hong / Park Sang-woo
JoongAng Ilbo / Staff Reporter [spark@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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