KFS and Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources Renew MOU during Korea-Kazakhstan Summit

The Korea Forest Service (KFS), led by Minister NAM Sunghyun, and the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan, under the leadership of Minister Yerlan Nyssanbayev, renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on forestry cooperation on June 12 at the Akorda residence of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The ceremony, witnessed by the respective heads of state, reaffirmed both countries' commitment to enhancing cooperation in areas such as forest disaster response, seed exchange for biodiversity promotion, and the use of satellite technology.

The recent large-scale forest fires in Kazakhstan, which burned around 100k hectares of forests from 2022 to 2023, highlighted the necessity of international forestry cooperation to effectively respond to forest-related disasters. In response to the needs expressed by the government of Kazakhstan, the KFS is determined to expanding its cooperative efforts to include forest fire prevention, response, and recovery, as well as seed cooperation to enhance biodiversity. This also includes the exchange of knowledge and resources between research institutes, such as arboretums in both countries.

Currently, the KFS maintains bilateral cooperative relations with 39 countries. Since the Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum in 2013, Korea and Kazakhstan have engaged in various collaborative activities, including the establishment of the Korea-Kazakhstan Friendship Garden and a forest restoration project in the Aral Sea region.

Minister Yerlan Nyssanbayev expressed his optimism about the renewed agreement, stating, “This MOU is anticipated to reinforce our evolving forestry cooperation, built on the trust between our nations.”

Minister NAM echoed this sentiment, saying, “I firmly believe that our close forestry cooperation lays the foundation for the mutual prosperity of our two countries. The KFS is committed to further strengthening the exchange of relevant policies and contributing to the livelihood of our peoples, particularly in forest disaster control and biodiversity enhancement.”