South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has begun a tour of resource-rich central Asia, aimed at boosting bilateral ties with three nations.

South Korean news reports say the president will stop in Mongolia Monday for talks with his counterpart Tsakhia Elbegdorj on labor, natural resources, and energy. Korea's manufacturing sector employs workers from Mongolia and other central Asian countries

During the meeting, the two leaders will also adopt a Korea-Mongolia joint statement and a mid-term action plan on bilateral cooperation.

On Tuesday, President Lee will travel to Uzbekistan for a meeting with President Islam Karimov in Tashkent. The two leaders are seeking cooperation in energy, finance and information technology.

President Lee's last stop on his central Asian tour is Kazakhstan's capital Astana. During his stay there he will meet with his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev and attend a business forum in Kazakhstan.