1. The Foreign Ministry will hold the 1st Korea-Central Asia Caravan in the capital of Astana, Oskemen
and Almati, Kazakhstan, May 27-June 3 to mark the “Year of Korea 2011 in Kazakhstan.”
2. The Caravan has been newly established this year on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the
establishment of diplomatic relations in 2012 to expand the sphere of cooperation with Central Asian
countries and help Korean companies and local government agencies expand their presence in these
countries.
3. The Caravan will feature a variety of events, including a business forum, medical-promotion session,
the opening of an oriental medical center, the conclusion of an MOU between the cities of Oskemen and
Gangneung, a Korean film festival, and the 1st Korea-Altai Cooperation Forum. In addition, a meeting
between the Korean government delegation and the provincial government leader, the opening ceremony
of an honorary consul’s office in East Kazakhstan Province and other governmental events will be held to
help Koreans make inroads into the country.
° The Korean delegation will be comprised of some 60 people from both the public and private
sectors, including officials from the Foreign Ministry, the City of Gangneung, the Korea Health Industry
Development Institute, Small and Medium Business Corporation, and representatives of the press and
medical circles as well as small and medium-sized businesses.
4. East Kazakhstan Province (also known as the Altai region), the venue for the Caravan, is rich in
tourism resources, and minerals such as titanium and uranium, thus seen as a region with great
potential for cooperation.
5. The Caravan is expected to help Koreans expand their presence and activities in Central Asia by
serving as an arena for complex diplomacy, in which official diplomatic activities are combined with
medical service, economic events, and cooperation between local government agencies of Korea
and the Central Asian countries.
Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFAT
* unofficial translation