Tajikistan and Korea: A New Partnership for Export Development

In the framework of the implementation of Component 3 of the Project “Development of Financial and Private Sectors” – Supply and Export Development Program, carried out with the support of the International Development Association (World Bank Group), an interagency delegation of Tajikistan undertook a working visit to the Republic of Korea from 24 November to 2 December 2025.

The visit was conducted in accordance with the instructions of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan with the aim of directly studying the advanced strategies and experience of the Republic of Korea in the areas of export promotion, financial and non-financial support for small and medium-sized enterprises, development of supply chains, international certification and accreditation, food safety, as well as the integration of enterprises and farms of that country into global markets, for the subsequent adaptation and introduction of best practices in Tajikistan.

The interagency delegation included representatives of the Executive Apparatus of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies, the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Committee on Investments and State Property Management, the Food Security Committee, the Export Agency, the Agency “Tajikstandard”, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as experts from the World Bank Group and the Project Implementation Center “Access to Green Financing and Rural Development Financing”.

During the working visit, the Tajikistan delegation was received by the heads of state institutions, sectoral associations, leading private-sector companies and business circles of the Republic of Korea. Meetings, briefings and round-table discussions addressed the targeted aspects of the Tajikistan delegation’s work program and priority issues of bilateral cooperation.

In particular, with the assistance of the Embassy of the Republic of Tajikistan in the Republic of Korea, key meetings were held at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources of Korea (MOTIR), the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), the Korea Federation of Textile Industries (KOFOTI), the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT Corporation), the Korea Testing & Research Institute (KOTITI), the Korea Standard & Safety Conformity Center (KSL), the Osong Biotechnological Research Center (KBIO), and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO).

The delegation also visited a number of advanced production and innovation facilities in the Republic of Korea, including the innovative “Air Dome” greenhouse of the D&W Group agricultural corporation, the “YG-1” production plant of GBY Corporation, the international textile company Jung Woo Textile Co., Ltd., the environmental technology company SGM Global, the presentation platform of the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ), and the HiKR Ground technological tourism park, where it familiarized itself with the technological achievements of these companies.

In the course of successive G2G and G2B meetings, comprehensive discussions were held on the opportunities for exporting Tajik agricultural, textile and industrial products to the markets of Korea and third countries, attracting direct Korean investments to Tajikistan’s free economic zones, transferring advanced digital technologies, and applying Korea’s best practices in organizing modern supply chains.

At the same time, during official meetings, the leadership of Korean state bodies drew particular attention of the delegation to strengthening the use by Tajikistan’s ministries and agencies of the official development assistance system of Korean structures (ODA), designed to support economic development and improve the well-being of developing countries.

In this regard, a targeted briefing was held at the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) to explain the mechanisms of providing official development assistance (ODA), the Knowledge Sharing Program (KSP), and the Economic Innovation Partnership Program (EIPP), which are aimed at addressing economic and industrial challenges of partner countries using Korea’s experience, attracting economic cooperation opportunities, including infrastructure and private investment projects, as well as promoting sustainable development and innovation in industry, technology and infrastructure.

As a result of establishing direct contacts, the parties agreed to sign memoranda of understanding and roadmaps for cooperation between the relevant institutions of the two countries and the private sector, which will create a solid foundation for the practical implementation of Korea’s advanced experience in Tajikistan, increasing export volumes, enhancing the competitiveness of domestic products on global markets, and attracting investments.

The outcomes of the visit represent an important stage in expanding economic and trade cooperation between Tajikistan and the Republic of Korea, and will contribute to achieving the strategic goals of national development, strengthening long-term partnership between the two countries, developing the Supply and Export Development Program, and implementing the measures of the State Program for Export Development for 2026–2030.