South Korean President Lee Myung-bak made an agreement with Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev to continue close cooperation in energy, plants, resources and nuclear power. President Lee is currently in the Central Asian country to wrap up his four-nation trip, which involved a visit to Russia, Greenland, and Norway before heading to Kazakhstan.

The two leaders also agreed during their summit talks on Thursday to expand cooperation in science and technology, healthcare and medical sectors, as well as maritime and shipping industries.

Lee and Nazarbayev also discussed ways for the future development and deepen practical cooperation in their strategic partnership. In light of Korea-Kazakhstan's 20 years of diplomatic relations, they agreed to work towards developing their strategic partnership based on their friendly ties.

After their bilateral talks, the two presidents attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a coal-fired power plant in Kazakhstan’s southern city of Balkhash. As the four billion dollar undertaking is the two countries' biggest-ever joint project, the two leaders hope that it will serve as an exemplary case of bilateral trust and cooperation.

President Lee is scheduled to return to Korea on Friday.