The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (MCEE, Minister Kim Sungwhan) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA, Minister Cho Hyun) announced that they will host the Korea-Turkmenistan Water Industry Cooperation Delegation event from July 21 to 23, inviting a delegation from the Government of Turkmenistan for a four-day, three-night program.

This event was organized as a follow-up to the Korea-Turkmenistan Water Industry Cooperation Delegation, the first public-private partnership initiative of its kind launched by the Korean government last year.

Through last year’s delegation, the two sides ed the potential for cooperation in the water sector. Building on those discussions, they organized this invitation program to further develop bilateral cooperation and expand the foundation for practical collaboration.

From July 21, the Turkmenistan government delegation spent two days visiting key water management facilities in the Seoul metropolitan area, including the Korea Water Resources Corporation’s Integrated Operations Center, the Hwaseong AI Water Treatment Plant, and the Gyeongin Ara Waterway, where they examined Korea’s digital water management and operational systems.

The delegation also visited Korean companies with advanced technologies in areas such as canal monitoring and water quality treatment to examine real-world applications of these technologies and discuss opportunities for cooperation.

In addition, this invitation program is being conducted in conjunction with the Workshop for Specialists on Smart Water Management in Central Asia.

On the final day of the program, July 23, the Korea-Central Asia Multilateral Water Industry Cooperation Meeting, attended by government officials from the five Central Asian countries*, and the Water Industry Cooperation Seminar, bringing together private-sector companies, will be held at Mondrian Seoul Itaewon in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

* Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan

At the event, officials from Korea and the five Central Asian countries will share their respective water management policies and key challenges, while discussing ways to strengthen cooperation on sustainable water management and climate change response.

In addition, one-on-one business roundtables between Korean water companies and Central Asian government agencies will be held to explore opportunities for future cooperation.

Kim Ho-eun, Director General for Water Use Policy Bureau at the MCEE, said, “The close cooperation we have built with Central Asian countries is now delivering tangible green export results, including the supply of equipment and the construction of water infrastructure by outstanding Korean water companies.” She added, “Going forward, we will continue to take the lead in creating a solid foundation that enables our water companies to pursue their businesses overseas with confidence.”

In his opening remarks at the multilateral meeting, MOFA Ambassador and Deputy Minister for Climate Change Kyun Jong-ho emphasized that cooperation in sharing national water resource policies and water management experience and in seeking joint solutions has never been more important. He also expressed hope that the discussions would lead to meaningful outcomes that further deepen cooperation at the Korea-Central Asia Summit, scheduled to be held in September.

The MCEE and the MOFA expressed hope that the invitation program would not only serve as an opportunity to further deepen water-sector cooperation between Korea and Turkmenistan, but also help expand policy cooperation and communication with Central Asian countries.

The two ministries also plan to continue supporting the overseas expansion of Korean water companies through government-to-government cooperation while steadily pursuing the development of practical collaborative projects.

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division. 

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