South Korea and Kazakhstan will step up economic cooperation in automobiles, plant construction and the development of natural resources.

The Trade, Industry and Energy Ministry held a business roundtable meeting with Kazakh officials on Tuesday. Twenty-two government and business officials from each side held discussions, including Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev who is on a two-day state visit to Korea.

Following keynote and opening speeches, the two sides discussed pending projects, challenges and ways to cooperate in diverse areas such as electronics and public health.

A total of 23 memorandums of understanding(MOU) were signed including in autos, COVID-19 response and natural resources that are crucial for future sectors such as nickel and cobalt.