ID :
193559
Thu, 07/07/2011 - 20:12
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/193559
The shortlink copeid
Lee steps up resources diplomacy in Congo
(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with summit results; CHANGES headline)
By Chang Jae-soon
KINSHASA, July 7 (Yonhap) -- Leaders of South Korea and the Democratic Republic of Congo agreed Thursday to work together to rebuild the war-torn African nation through a combination of Korea's technology and Congo's rich national resources, officials said.
President Lee Myung-bak reached the agreement with Congolese President Joseph Kabila during summit talks held upon his arrival in Kinshasa for a two-day visit. Lee is the first South Korean president to visit Congo since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1963.
Congo is the second leg of Lee's three-nation African tour that will also take him to Ethiopia on Friday. Lee flew from the South African city of Durban where he campaigned successfully for the South Korean alpine city of PyeongChang's bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics.
South Korea has sought to enhance relations with Africa, seeing the continent as what officials called a "fresh engine" for South Korea's economic growth. Congo has been trying to rebuild the country since the end of a civil war in the early 2000s.
During talks with Kabila, Lee expressed hope to share South Korea's economic development experience with Congo and offered to cooperate in transferring agricultural technology, human resources training and drawing up national development strategies, the presidential office said in a statement.
The two leaders also agreed to facilitate projects in which South Korean firms have been trying to take part, such as building water purification facilities and ports and developing mineral resources, such as copper, the statement said.
They also agreed to "work together for Congo's reconstruction based on the principle of mutual benefits by combining the strong points of the two countries, namely South Korea's excellent technologies and the Democratic Republic of Congo's natural resources potentials," the statement said.
Lee praised Kabila's leadership and asked for his continued support for South Korea in the United Nations or other international stages. Kabila noted South Korea's growing status in the international community and agreed to support the Asian nation in international stages, the statement said.
The two sides later issued a joint communique summing up the summit talks, and signed a series of agreement laying the legal grounds for economic cooperation between the sides. Also signed were agreements to link social infrastructure construction to resources development and to conduct joint oil exploration.
Lee later attended a business forum of about 200 leading businessmen from the two nations.
During a speech at the forum, Lee reiterated that South Korea will share its experience and technologies to help Congo's economic development, stressing that Seoul puts the focus of economic cooperation with developing countries on helping them stand on their own.
Lee also hoped that South Korean companies will participate in Congo's infrastructure construction projects.
Later in the day, Lee held a meeting with dozens of South Koreans living in Congo.
By Chang Jae-soon
KINSHASA, July 7 (Yonhap) -- Leaders of South Korea and the Democratic Republic of Congo agreed Thursday to work together to rebuild the war-torn African nation through a combination of Korea's technology and Congo's rich national resources, officials said.
President Lee Myung-bak reached the agreement with Congolese President Joseph Kabila during summit talks held upon his arrival in Kinshasa for a two-day visit. Lee is the first South Korean president to visit Congo since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1963.
Congo is the second leg of Lee's three-nation African tour that will also take him to Ethiopia on Friday. Lee flew from the South African city of Durban where he campaigned successfully for the South Korean alpine city of PyeongChang's bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics.
South Korea has sought to enhance relations with Africa, seeing the continent as what officials called a "fresh engine" for South Korea's economic growth. Congo has been trying to rebuild the country since the end of a civil war in the early 2000s.
During talks with Kabila, Lee expressed hope to share South Korea's economic development experience with Congo and offered to cooperate in transferring agricultural technology, human resources training and drawing up national development strategies, the presidential office said in a statement.
The two leaders also agreed to facilitate projects in which South Korean firms have been trying to take part, such as building water purification facilities and ports and developing mineral resources, such as copper, the statement said.
They also agreed to "work together for Congo's reconstruction based on the principle of mutual benefits by combining the strong points of the two countries, namely South Korea's excellent technologies and the Democratic Republic of Congo's natural resources potentials," the statement said.
Lee praised Kabila's leadership and asked for his continued support for South Korea in the United Nations or other international stages. Kabila noted South Korea's growing status in the international community and agreed to support the Asian nation in international stages, the statement said.
The two sides later issued a joint communique summing up the summit talks, and signed a series of agreement laying the legal grounds for economic cooperation between the sides. Also signed were agreements to link social infrastructure construction to resources development and to conduct joint oil exploration.
Lee later attended a business forum of about 200 leading businessmen from the two nations.
During a speech at the forum, Lee reiterated that South Korea will share its experience and technologies to help Congo's economic development, stressing that Seoul puts the focus of economic cooperation with developing countries on helping them stand on their own.
Lee also hoped that South Korean companies will participate in Congo's infrastructure construction projects.
Later in the day, Lee held a meeting with dozens of South Koreans living in Congo.
