During the 10-day trip, Han will visit Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, where he will hold talks with heads of state and other ranking officials on securing stable access to resources and expanding cooperation in the energy sector, an aide to Han said.

Seoul also hopes to participate in those countries’ development of oil and gas fields, and exploration of mineral resources, the aide said.

Han will ask those countries and businessmen to actively seek investment opportunities in South Korea, he said.

In Uzbekistan until Tuesday, Han will pay a courtesy call on President Islam Karimov. He will discuss with his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyayev matters of mutual interest, including a long-term contract to purchase uranium, according to the aide.

In Kazakhstan, he is scheduled to meet with President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Prime Minister Karim Masimov.

Han will fly to Turkmenistan on Thursday to make the first official visit to the Central Asian country by a South Korean prime minister. Korea and Turkmenistan established formal relations in 1992. Seoul opened its first diplomatic mission in Turkmenistan in June 2007.

Han will make a two-day visit to Azerbaijan before returning home next Monday. He will meet President Ilham Aliyev and hold talks with Prime Minister Artur Rasizade on joint development of the country’s energy and mineral resources, the aide said.