Korea–Central Asia Deal-Making: South Korea used its first leader-level summit in Seoul to lock in a 30-year cooperation plan with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, adopting the “Seoul Declaration” and agreeing to biennial summits (next in Astana in 2028) plus industry-minister talks, with a clear business focus on critical minerals, energy, trade, logistics, AI and digitalization. Tajikistan–Korea Commercial Push: At the same summit, Korea signed 17 agreements with Tajikistan covering railways, transport and logistics, customs and police cooperation, IP, energy and industrial safety, while also laying groundwork for AI/digital industries and exploring critical minerals and green transition. Customs & Anti-Counterfeit: South Korea’s customs agency signed MOUs with Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan to share data and run joint enforcement against counterfeit Korean goods, including plans for customs clearance communication channels. KOTRA Supply-Chain Outreach: KOTRA hosted a Korea–Central Asia Business Partnership in Seoul, bringing 33 Central Asian buyers and suppliers and 90 Korean firms for about 200 consultations, with 16 export contracts worth $14m and a “supply chain lounge” aimed at stabilizing key raw-material flows. Kuwait Labor Talks: Tajikistan and Kuwait moved to expand labor cooperation, with Dushanbe seeking recruitment of “qualified” Tajik workers for Kuwait’s private sector under a 2024 workforce exchange agreement. Tajikistan Climate Early Warning: Tajik authorities reported 741 natural emergencies in early 2026 and are working with UK-backed tools like GIS, drones and early warning systems to reduce disaster losses.