On September 19, Secretary-General LIM Byung-jin engaged in discussions with HANJEZA Karim, a Kyrgyzstan member of national assembly, DZHUMAGAZIEV Kanat, governor of Chuy Province, and AN Husei, president of Kazakhstan's Silk Road Institute of Cultural, Economic, and International Exchange Sciences during the Third International Friendship Cities Forum in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The purpose of the meeting was to elaborate on NEAR's associate membership program and to invite prominent local governments in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan to participate as associate members, fostering extensive multilateral exchanges among governments in Northeast and Central Asia.

In response, the member of the Kyrgyzstan National Assembly and the governor of Chuy Province expressed a keen interest in NEAR. They welcomed further discussions and extended a warm invitation to Secretary-General Lim to visit Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, indicating their openness to exploring the possibilities of collaboration within NEAR.