Foreign Minister of South Korea Song Min-soon says Korea is Central Asian countries’ best partner for development cooperation, noting that Seoul has injected funds and resources into the region and will continue to do so.

In a speech to the inaugural Korea-Central Asia cooperation forum on Thursday, Song said the two sides were building an economic partnership by strategically advancing into each other’s markets.

At the forum, participants shared their views on prospects for the partnership. They pointed out Central Asia’s advantages in airlines, petrochemicals and energy, whereas Korea had experience in economic development and strengths in information, communication and construction.

Participants included foreign ministers and ambassadors from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan, as well as Korean officials and scholars.