First Vice Foreign Minister Kwon Jong-rak said Tuesday that Han paid a courtesy call on Karimov in Tashkent. Karimov said he was happy to see the Korean and Uzbek prime ministers sign an agreement on the long-term supply of 2,600 tons of uranium to Korea, and expressed willingness to increase the supply as needed, Kwon said.

Han and his delegation wound up their visit to Uzbekistan that same day and headed to resource-rich Kazakhstan. He is scheduled to meet next with Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov to discuss how Kazakhstan can help Korean businesses advance into the Central Asian country’s energy and resources sector.

After meeting with Massimov, Han will visit with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The Korean prime minister will reportedly ask Kazakh officials to conclude an agreement on the exploration of the Zambil Mine on the coast of the Caspian Sea.