On October 15, on the sidelines of the Astana Think Tank Forum 2025, a meeting took place between Zhandos Shaimardanov, Director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS) under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Rhee Jong Kook, Executive Director of the Secretariat of the “Republic of Korea – Central Asia Cooperation Forum” and Vice President of the Korea Foundation.
The Director of KazISS emphasized that the Institute actively engages with research organizations.
“Kazakhstan and the Republic of Korea share a common vision of long-term and effective cooperation built on friendship and trust. In June last year, the President of the Republic of Korea paid a state visit to Kazakhstan. Korea remains one of the key directions of Kazakhstan’s economic diplomacy. Our trade and economic cooperation continues to develop dynamically,” said Zhandos Shaimardanov.
The parties exchanged views on further directions for bilateral and multilateral cooperation, discussing opportunities for joint research and educational projects between KazISS and leading Korean think tanks.
Special attention was given to issues of regional economic integration, including prospects for expanding transport and logistics connectivity between Central and East Asia. The discussion also covered cooperation within the framework of the K-Silk Road initiative and the C5+Korea format, aimed at strengthening sustainable development and trust between the regions.
A central focus of the talks was strengthening collaboration between Korean and Central Asian think tanks, as well as prospects for holding the Korea – Central Asia Think Tank Forum.
At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides expressed readiness to continue the dialogue and deepen the partnership, emphasizing the importance of expert engagement for sustainable development.
