Lee’s three-day trip to Astana, the Kazakh capital, will begin with a welcoming dinner hosted by Nazarbayev. The two presidents will hold a summit early Wednesday, following an official welcome reception at the Ak Orda presidential palace.

The meeting’s agenda will likely include energy and economic cooperation between the countries, as well as Seoul’s assistance to the Central Asian nation, South Korean officials said.

Seoul is seeking to significantly improve its relations with other Asian nations through its diplomatic campaign called the "New Asia Initiative," under which the South Korean government aims to actively promote the diplomatic and economic interests of Asia in the international community.

"President Lee’s trip will help establish a strong friendship of trust with leaders of the key friendly nations in the Central Asian region, as well as foundation for mutually beneficial relations with the countries by strengthening our cooperation in energy and natural resources, construction, infrastructure and IT industries," an official said.

Lee will also hold talks with Korean residents during his stay in Astana.

Lee wrapped up his three-day stay in Uzbekistan, his first stop, with a tour of Samarkand, a city nearly 3000 years old, accompanied by Uzbek President Islam Karimov.

The two countries signed pacts that would open Uzbek oil exploration projects to South Korea. Seoul, in turn, promised diverse assistance packages.