South Korea, Kazakhstan Sign Nuclear Energy Pact, Eye Critical Minerals Cooperation

South Korea and Kazakhstan have signed a nuclear energy agreement and expressed interest in expanding cooperation on critical minerals, Anadolu Agency reported.

The agreement was reached as President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan met to discuss deepening economic ties between the two countries, according to the report.

The talks come ahead of the first South Korea-Central Asia summit, a gathering intended to strengthen relations between Seoul and countries in the Central Asian region, Anadolu Agency said.

Details on the specific terms of the nuclear energy pact, including its scope and duration, were not immediately available. The report did not specify further particulars on the proposed critical minerals cooperation.

Kazakhstan is a major global producer of uranium and holds significant reserves of critical minerals, resources that have drawn increasing international interest as countries seek to diversify supply chains for energy and technology sectors.

South Korea, which operates a substantial nuclear power industry and has sought to expand its nuclear technology exports in recent years, has been pursuing partnerships with resource-rich nations to secure supplies of materials used in energy and manufacturing.

Further details regarding the agreement and the broader summit proceedings were not included in the available report.