Korea to host conference on African cooperation

Economic leaders of dozens of African countries will gather in South Korea this month to discuss cooperation and joint business opportunities, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.

The Korea Africa Economic Cooperation Conference will be held in Seoul from Oct. 15-18, bringing in economic ministers and heads of 39 African countries and international organizations, according to the ministry.

Jointly organized by the African Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of Korea along with the finance ministry, the forum will provide a chance for participants to discuss economic cooperation, the ministry said.

The conference has been held every two years since 2006. This year’s meeting will mark the largest Africa-related event to be held in South Korea, the ministry said.

On Oct. 16, in particular, they will hold ministerial talks on how to achieve so-called “inclusive growth” where they can translate economic growth into creating opportunities for more countries and more underprivileged people.

At the end of the meeting, participants will issue a joint statement and provide detailed action plans on cooperation for the next two years, the ministry said.

(Yonhap News)