2014 Meeting of Heads of the ROK’s Diplomatic Missions in Africa Takes Place

The Foreign Ministry held the 2014 meeting of heads of the ROK’s diplomatic missions in Africa (sub-Saharan Africa) at the ROK Permanent Delegation to the OECD in Paris, France, on December 17. It was presided over by 2nd Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul. 

The participants of the meeting comprehensively reviewed the ROK government’s diplomacy toward Africa. They also engaged in an in-depth discussion from various perspectives on ways to strengthen the ROK’s diplomacy toward Africa consistent with the ROK’s diplomatic goals of achieving the “happiness of the people” and opening an “era of happiness throughout the global community.” 

Second Vice Minister Cho Tae-yul assessed that as the ROK government promotes middle power diplomacy, including MIKTA, diplomacy toward Africa, newly emerging as a “continent of hope,” is becoming all the more important. The Vice Minister requested that drawing upon the abundant achievements made in 2014, the mission heads exert their best efforts in their host countries in a range of areas, including strengthening networks with Africa, supporting Korean companies’ entry into the African market, and protecting Koreans in the region. 

The meeting contributed to developing substantive foreign policy toward Africa by providing an opportunity for the mission heads, who are at the forefront of the ROK’s diplomacy toward Africa, to share the latest information and ideas about the region, now dubbed a “continent of hope” as the world’s last growth engine.