President Lee Myung-bak (left) and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev take a stroll around the president''s residence in Astana Tuesday (May 12)

After wrapping-up a three-day state visit to Uzbekistan, President Lee Myung-bak is now in neighboring Kazakhstan for talks with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

President Lee is set to hold a summit with President Nazarbayev later Wednesday (May 13) in Kazakhstan''s capital city Astana to discuss ways to increase cooperation between their countries and fight the global financial crisis.

The two leaders are expected to particularly focus on boosting the level of economic partnership, especially in the area of energy cooperation.

Issues likely to be discussed include jointly developing the Jambil maritime oil block in the Caspian Sea and a thermal power plant in the central Asian country.

The leaders are also expected to discuss the ongoing global economic crisis.

President Nazarbayev has expressed hopes to hear from President Lee about Korea''s experience in dealing with past economic crises.

After the summit, President Lee will also meet with Kazakhstan''s Prime Minister, Karim Massimov, to discuss ways to improve bilateral relations.

He will also attend an economic forum between Korean and Kazakh businesspeople to give a speech on green growth.

Later on Wednesday he will meet with a group of Korean residents before heading home early Thursday. 

Lee''s five-day trip to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan comes as Korea is set to improve its relations with other Asian nations through a diplomatic campaign called the "New Asia Initiative," designed to actively promote the diplomatic and economic interests of Asia in the international community.