S. Korea, Africa craft vision statement for first-ever summit

High-ranking officials from South Korea and Africa convened Monday to deliberate on a pivotal vision statement, aimed at fostering a better-structured and strengthened partnership between the two sides. The statement is poised to be unveiled as the defining outcome of the first-ever Korea-Africa summit in South Korea.

The Senior Officials' Meeting in preparation for the two-day summit on June 4 and 5 took place in Seoul, with resident and nonresident ambassadors and high-level representatives from 44 African countries in attendance, according to Seoul's Foreign Ministry. Notably, attendees flew in from 13 African countries as well as Asian countries, including Japan, specifically for the gathering.

"Our meeting today is of special importance in that we are going to consider the revised vision statement of the upcoming 2024 Korea-Africa Summit," Ambassador of Mauritania to South Korea Sidya El Hadj said in his opening remarks.

"The text, which is before us today, includes major elements for a better-structured and stronger partnership between Korea and Africa based on the comparative strength of both parties," he added.

Mauritania's ambassador served as the chief delegate from the African side for the SOM, given that the first Korea-Africa summit will be jointly hosted by South Korea and Mauritius, the incumbent chair of the African Union, which consists of 55 member states.

Following the meeting, the South Korean Foreign Ministry announced that both South Korea and Africa are fully committed to preparing for the summit based on the outcomes of the SOM.

The SOM covered a broad range of topics, including economic cooperation and collaborative strategies to address global challenges, suggesting that the statement encompassed a wide spectrum of cooperative efforts.

"Both sides shared the opinion that, above all, there is a need to enhance economic cooperation through the promotion of trade and investment and expand the institutional frameworks to that end," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"They also concurred that sharing South Korea's expertise and technology could expedite the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), thereby contributing to Africa's economic development."

Furthermore, both parties explored avenues for bolstering bilateral cooperation in addressing intricate global challenges including health care, energy, climate change, and supply chain disruptions, as reported by the Foreign Ministry in Seoul.

Additionally, the two sides deliberated on pathways to reinforce cooperation in fields such as peace and security, aligning with the growing roles and significance of both entities on the global stage.

Both sides also have agreed to hold a Korea-Africa ministerial meeting on June 2 to conduct final checks on preparations for the summit, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The chief delegates from South Korea and Africa underscored the significant implications of the first Korea-Africa summit in their opening remarks.

"The upcoming summit will be a landmark in the relations between the Republic of Korea and Africa, as it will push the two sides' partnership to a higher level," the ambassador said. "From the African side, we look forward to engaging with the Republic of Korea in mutually beneficial cooperation."

The ambassador highlighted the appropriateness of the themes of the upcoming summit, "The Future We Make Together: Shared Growth, Sustainability and Solidarity."

"They reflect the equal partnership which Korea and Africa intend to add their existing strong cooperation to advance their respective agendas for the future,” the ambassador said, providing the example of South Korea’s vision to be a "global pivotal state" and Africa’s 50-year development blueprint, called "Agenda 2063."

The ambassador also suggested that transferring South Korea's expertise and know-how in rapid economic development would be a central agenda item for the summit. He stressed that African countries must accelerate their economic recovery from recession and inflation rates exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine.

"However, the task ahead for Africa is immense to reach higher levels of economic growth and maintain them for the long run in an international economic environment, which is constantly changing," the ambassador said.

"We can certainly learn from the Republic of Korea, which managed to maintain economic growth rates of more than 7 percent for 30 years, based on rapid industrialization and increased exports," he added, referring to South Korea by its official name.

In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Chung Byung-won said South Korea aims to transform the summit into a vibrant festival uniting the people of Korea and Africa, which share similar histories.

Chung further highlighted, “The emotional solidarity formed through the histories of colonialism and war and democratic experiences that both Africa and Korea share is expected to be transformed into win-win cooperation and future-oriented relationship through this summit."