Lee will visit Kazakhstan later in the week after spending two days in Uzbekistan, including a summit meeting with the Uzbek leader.

The trip is Lee’s first presidential visit to the region since he took office in February last year.

“President Lee will seek to reinforce our energy and resource diplomacy with the countries, which have rich reserves of oil and other mineral resources, including uranium,” the Blue House said in an earlier statement. “He will also seek to strengthen cooperation with Central Asia on global issues, such as climate change and overcoming the economic crisis.”

The Lee administration said earlier this year that it will reinforce cooperation with Asian neighbors under its “New Asia Initiative.” This week’s trip is the first step for Lee to put his plan into action. The trip is also considered a stepping stone for Korea to upgrade its role as a power player in Asia before hosting the Korea-ASEAN special summit on Jeju Island in June.

Lee was scheduled to kick off his visit in Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan, with a meeting with Korean residents. Lee is scheduled to have a summit on Monday with his Uzbek counterpart, Islam Karimov, and a joint press conference is planned afterwards.

The two leaders are expected to discuss economic cooperation programs largely concentrated on energy and infrastructure projects. Expected topics on the agenda will be the development of the Surgil gas field, petrochemical plant programs and the construction of a logistics hub at Naboi Airport.

Lee will also speak at a forum of businessmen from both countries and talk with Uzbek youngsters on Monday.

The stay in Uzbekistan will conclude on Tuesday with a visit to Samarkand, a central city on the Silk Road between China and the West.

Samarkand was added to the itinerary at Karimov’s request, the Blue House said last week. “I will be there first to greet Lee,” the Uzbek president was quoted saying. Samarkand is the hometown of the Uzbek leader.

Lee will arrive in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on Tuesday for talks with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The Kazakh leader also plans an enthusiastic welcome, the Blue House said, which might include a visit to a traditional Kazakh sauna at the presidential retreat. “It is the highest level of welcome in Kazakhstan,” said a Blue House official last week.

Under discussion at the summit with Nazarbayev will be the Balkhash thermal power plant and Zambil Mine exploration project.