President Lee Jae Myung spoke with the leaders of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on the phone for the first time since taking office.

Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said on Thursday that during the call, President Lee and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov agreed to advance their comprehensive strategic partnership further, citing a recent increase in bilateral trade and people-to-people exchanges.

President Lee expressed hope for strengthening practical cooperation with Kyrgyzstan in supply chains and energy, citing its rich mineral resources and hydropower potential, and called for special attention to ethnic Koreans in the Central Asian nation.

In a phone call with Tajikistani President Emomali Rahmon, President Lee proposed that the two nations further promote bilateral cooperation and exchanges. 

The spokesperson stated that the two leaders also exchanged views on ways to expand cooperation to include railways, transportation, and infrastructure. 

Lee agreed with the two leaders to maintain close communication ahead of the South Korea-Central Asia Summit, which Seoul plans to host next year.