Cheong Wa Dae (Im Se-jun/The Korea Herald). Kazakhstan pledged to support South Korea’s efforts to diversify its energy supplies, including moves to facilitate Seoul’s imports of Kazakh crude oil, amid supply chain disruptions caused by the Iran war, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday.The two sides also agreed during high-level talks in Kazakhstan to use the first Korea-Central Asia summit, which South Korea is set to host in September, as a key opportunity to deepen bilateral and regional ties.National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac met Roman Sklyar, head of the Kazakh presidential administration, Gizat Nurdauletov, secretary of Kazakhstan’s Security Council, and other Kazakh officials in Kazakhstan on Friday.The two sides discussed energy and supply chain cooperation, as well as other pending issues, including preparations for the Korea-Central Asia summit, during which Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is set to visit South Korea, according to Cheong Wa Dae.“Wi said that Kazakhstan, the world’s 12th-largest crude oil producer, is a key Central Asian partner for South Korea’s efforts to diversify its energy supply sources, as energy price instability persists amid the ongoing situation in the Middle East,” Cheong Wa Dae said in a press statement.The meeting covered progress and follow-up measures related to planned imports of Kazakh crude oil, which were discussed during an April visit to Kazakhstan by a South Korean government delegation led by presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik. Following the trip, Kang announced South Korea’s procurement of 18 million barrels of crude oil from Kazakhstan.Wi “called for Kazakhstan’s interest and support to ensure the smooth introduction of Kazakh crude oil” into South Korea, according to Cheong Wa Dae.“In response, Sklyar said he was pleased with energy cooperation with Korea and stated that Kazakhstan would strive to contribute to Korea’s energy diversification efforts,” Cheong Wa Dae added.Kazakhstan has drawn growing attention from Seoul as a major alternative energy supplier. Its export routes bypass the Strait of Hormuz, the volatile Middle Eastern chokepoint through which the vast majority of South Korea’s energy imports from the region must pass.The country is also one of seven key members of the OPEC+ alliance that lead monthly production decisions alongside Algeria, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Russia and Saudi Arabia, underscoring its strategic weight in the global energy market.During the high-level talks, Wi also “called for Kazakhstan’s continued support for the activities of Korean businesses,” noting that Korean companies operating in Kazakhstan are participating in major national projects.Sklyar, in return, said “Kazakhstan would continue to pay close attention and provide support to ensure a favorable investment environment,” noting that he had long overseen economic cooperation with South Korea while serving as the first deputy prime minister.He also welcomed the growing presence of South Korean companies, including the recent completion of Kia’s largest CKD joint production plant in Central Asia in Kostanay, Kazakhstan, according to Cheong Wa Dae.The meeting also covered ways to expand cooperation beyond energy and supply chains.Wi “called for expanding practical cooperation not only in energy sectors such as crude oil and natural gas, but also in advanced industries including critical minerals, nuclear power and artificial intelligence,” while emphasizing the need to strengthen high-level communication between the two countries to that end.Nurdauletov said Kazakhstan would maintain close communication with South Korea.“Nurdauletov expressed hope for broader cooperation in defense-related areas, including the defense industry, military intelligence and people-to-people exchanges,” according to Cheong Wa Dae.Wi also noted the “growing strategic importance of Central Asia amid evolving regional dynamics, expressing hope that the upcoming Korea-Central Asia summit would serve as an opportunity to elevate cooperation between the two regions to a new level.”Nurdauletov said the “Kazakh government has been working to strengthen cooperation among Central Asian countries and pledged active support to help advance cooperation between Central Asia and Korea,” according to Cheong Wa Dae.For the key outcome of the meeting, Cheong Wa Dae underlined that “both sides shared the view that the Korea-Central Asia summit in September should serve as a key opportunity to advance bilateral relations and cooperation between the two regions.”“They also agreed to continue close cooperation, including through communication channels between the two presidential offices, to ensure the successful hosting of the summit,” it added.