President Lee Jae-myung met Asian Development Bank President Masato Kanda on the 14th to discuss cooperation on critical minerals, artificial intelligence and nuclear power.
Presidential Chief Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing that Lee received Kanda at his office at the Blue House. Kanda was in Seoul for the Korea-Central Asia summit. The two sides explored ways to work together on critical minerals, AI and energy, including nuclear power, across the Asia-Pacific region and Central Asia.
Lee said Central Asia has strong growth potential because of its abundant resources and geographic advantages. "Let us expand cooperation between Korea, which has the technology and capabilities, and the ADB, which has diverse project experience and financial instruments, to stabilize critical mineral supply chains in Uzbekistan and elsewhere in Central Asia," he said. Kanda said critical mineral supply chains are a priority area of ADB support and that the bank hopes to work with Korea, given its industrial capabilities.
Lee also outlined his "AI for All" vision and Korea's efforts on global AI, saying that combining Korea's AI capabilities with the ADB's development expertise could produce meaningful results. Kanda responded that the Korean economy is delivering outstanding performance despite uncertain global conditions, and said he was impressed by the remarkable leadership Lee has shown in AI and digital technology.
The two sides also agreed that Korea's technology and experience could be tapped for Asia-Pacific energy infrastructure projects the ADB is pursuing, such as the ASEAN Power Grid, and for financing policies in the nuclear power sector.
Kanda won unanimous backing from ADB member countries early this month for a second term, which begins in November and runs for five years.
