Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul hosted the second meeting of the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit Preparatory Commission on Friday, February 2, 2024, in the presence of participants from 25 government agencies, relevant organizations, and local governments.
※ The 2024 Korea-Africa Summit Preparatory Commission, with Minister of Foreign Affairs as its Chairperson, consists of vice minister-level or other high-ranking officials from government agencies as well as vice mayors of local governments.
- Ministry of Economy and Finance; Ministry of Education; Ministry of Science and ICT; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of National Defense; Ministry of the Interior and Safety; Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy; Ministry of Health and Welfare; Ministry of Environment; Ministry of Employment and Labor; Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport; Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries; Ministry of SMEs and Startups; Presidential Security Service; Office for Government Policy Coordination; Ministry of Food and Drug Safety; Korea Customs Service; Public Procurement Service; Defense Acquisition Program Administration; Korea Forest Service; Korea Disease Control and Preventive Agency; Statistics Korea; Seoul Metropolitan Government; Goyang City, etc.
In his opening remarks, Foreign Minister Cho took note of the necessity for cooperation with Africa in light of the growing influence of the Global South, and stressed that cooperation with Africa is not a choice but a necessity in realizing Korea's vision to become a Global Pivotal State dedicated to fostering freedom, peace, and prosperity worldwide.
Foreign Minister Cho detailed that the Korean government wishes for the Korea-Africa Summit to lay the foundation for a genuine partnership between the two regions, fostering long-term and mutually beneficial cooperative ties.
In this context, Foreign Minister Cho urged all agencies to closely collaborate in preparing for the Summit, highlighting that this is the Korean government's first-ever summit with Africa. He called upon the agencies to solidify projects regarding Africa across diverse domains of cooperation and emphasized the thorough planning of side events.
Following the first Preparatory Commission meeting in October, the second meeting served to invigorate full-scale preparations by establishing a close coordination mechanism among all government agencies, local governments, and pertinent organizations for the success of the Summit.