1. On April 22, 2010, Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Nursultan A. Nazarbayev of the Republic of Kazakhstan held a summit at Cheong Wa Dae. President Nazarbayev is visiting Korea April 21-23. The two presidents had in-depth discussions on issues of mutual interest, including cooperation in the regional and international arena and ways to enhance substantive bilateral collaboration in such areas as energy, resources, construction, infrastructure, agriculture and information technology.

2. Expressing satisfaction that bilateral relations have steadily progressed, the two heads of state reaffirmed their determination to work together to give concrete substance to the strategic partnership between the two countries. To this end, they agreed to convene bilateral summits whenever necessary, expand exchanges among senior-level leaders in a variety of fields, including the Government, parliament and business and further strengthen the mechanism for cooperation. In addition, they concurred on the need to work closely together to elevate bilateral relations to new heights on the occasion of the Year of Kazakhstan in Korea this year, the Year of Korea in Kazakhstan in 2011 and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties in 2012.

3. The two heads of state agreed to closely cooperate to facilitate the ongoing strategic projects, including the construction of the Balkhash coal-powered thermal power plant and the joint exploration of Zambil offshore oilfields. They also expressed the hope that the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the state-run oil companies of the two countries would expand the foundation for further collaboration in the area of resources development.

4. The two heads of state shared a recognition that the potential for bilateral cooperation in the nuclear sector is substantial in that Korea is the sixth largest uranium consumer in the world and that Kazakhstan has the second largest uranium deposits and is the largest exporter of uranium to Korea. They saw eye-to-eye on the need to give concrete shape to collaboration in this field. In particular, the two leaders welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the nuclear sector between the state-run corporations of the two countries. The two leaders agreed to proactively seek out how to work together on the joint exploration of uranium mines and joint research on the System-integrated Modular Advanced Reactor (SMART), a Korea-developed model of small- and mid-sized nuclear reactors.

5. The two heads of state discussed ways to work together in the construction of housing units and the transportation infrastructure. President Lee asked the Kazakh President to provide government-wide support to Korean businesses operating in Kazakhstan, which are suffering difficulties due to the downturn in the real estate market.

6. The two heads of state reached an agreement to facilitate new cooperative projects in a variety of areas, including the development of Kuryk port now under discussion as well as the petrochemical, IT and defense industries, the transportation infrastructure, health care, agriculture and tourism.

7.The President gave a high evaluation to Kazakhstan’s policy of industrial diversification and modernization and expressed Korea’s intention to render active cooperation, including sharing of Korea’s experiences in that regard. President Nazarbayev expressed the hope that investment by Korean enterprises in Kazakh projects will be expanded.

8. In order to promote mutual understanding between the two peoples, the two leaders decided that the two sides should bolster cooperative efforts in a successful manner by carrying out the Year of Kazakhstan and the Year of Korea events planned for this year and next year and by collaborating in the area of tourism and sports. President Lee said that he trusted that the 2011 Asian Winter Games in Astana and Almaty will be carried out successfully, and President Nazarbayev expressed appreciation for that.

9. Considering the increasing people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, The President proposed that the two sides conclude an agreement concerning simplification of entry and exit procedures as well as issuance of multiple entry visas. He asked his Kazakh counterpart to pay continuing attention to the 100,000 ethnic Koreans in Kazakhstan so that they will prosper as exemplary, responsible citizens.

10. The President highly evaluated Kazakhstan’s substantial contribution to enhancing peace and security in Asia as a leading member of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) for nearly 20 years. The Korean President also congratulated Kazakhistan on the fact that its global prestige is being bolstered as a result of international endeavors, including assumption of the chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as the first Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) country to do so.

11. President Nazarbayev, in turn, praised Korea for having been chosen as the host of the G-20 Summit late this year as well as the second Nuclear Security Summit in 2012. He took note of the fact that Korea’s assumption of the chair of the two major global conferences in economic and security affairs respectively attests to its expanding international role.

12. On the evening of April 21, 2010, the two leaders participated in the opening ceremony of the Year of Kazakhstan and had an unofficial dinner that served as an occasion to further deepen their friendship.

13. President Nazarbayev expressed appreciation for the warm hospitality shown him by the people and Government of Korea during his stay. The two leaders shared the view that President Nazarbayev’s visit this time that follows the President’s visit to Kazakhstan in May 2009 has been conducive to solidifying mutual confidence and friendship as well as to the expansion of mutually beneficial endeavors.