President Lee and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev hold a summit in Kazakhstan''s capital city Astana on May 13

Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev agreed Wednesday (May 13) to boost the level of bilateral cooperation by upgrading their countries'' relationship into a "strategic partnership" through a specific set of measures.

According to the joint statement released following the summit between the two leaders in Kazakhstan''s capital city Astana, Lee and Nazarbayev adopted the so-called “action plan,” which describes a set of measures that will increase their diplomatic and economic cooperation in various fields including the areas of energy cooperation, trade, culture, labor and construction.

The action plan, which details concrete future plans, is expected to increase practical cooperation between the two countries and to lay the foundation for stronger bilateral ties.

On economic cooperation, the two sides signed nine memoranda of understanding (MOUs) agreeing to jointly develop the Jambil maritime oil block in the Caspian Sea as well as a thermal power plant in Balkhash and to collaborate in establishing wireless internet networks in the Central Asian country.

To this end, the two sides agreed to jointly develop resources in Kazakhstan, a move that will also help increase Seoul''s energy security.

Under the plan, the countries will also hold talks at least once every two years to help increase their cooperation in the development of nuclear energy, which will include the joint planning and construction of small and medium-sized nuclear reactors.

Other than economic and energy cooperation, President Lee and Nazarbayev also agreed to work together in fighting the worldwide recession, global terrorism and global warming.

President Lee arrived in Kazakhstan as part of his two-nation Central Asia trip after wrapping up a three-day state visit to Uzbekistan earlier this week.

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.

While in Kazakhstan, President Lee is expected to attend an economic forum between Korean and Kazakh businesspeople and to meet with a group of Korean residents before heading home early Thursday.