President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Turkmenistan on Monday for the first leg of a trip to three Central Asian nations including Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

After an official welcoming ceremony, Yoon will hold a summit with Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedow and sign a memorandum of understanding on bilateral cooperation.

Yoon is expected to discuss substantial ways to expand opportunities for South Korean companies seeking to advance into the energy and plant sectors of Turkmenistan, which ranks fourth globally in terms of natural gas reserves.   

Yoon and First Lady Kim Keon-hee will then attend a state dinner.

Following his two-day trip to Turkmenistan, the president will make a three-day visit to Kazakhstan for a summit with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev before visiting Uzbekistan from Thursday to Friday.