South Korean FM Holds Talks with 11 African Counterparts

SEOUL, June 2 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has held a series of one-on-one talks with his counterparts from 11 African countries and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties and expand cooperation, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday.

Cho met separately with the foreign ministers of Ghana, Somalia, Tanzania, Tunisia, Kenya, Angola, Rwanda, Benin, Algeria, Sao Tome and Principe, and Botswana in Seoul on Monday on the sidelines of the Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers' Meeting, according to the ministry.

Cho welcomed their visits to South Korea, while the ministers congratulated Seoul on the successful hosting of the gathering and praised its commitment to cooperation with Africa by proceeding with the event as scheduled despite challenging circumstances.

In talks with Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Cho appreciated Ghana's role as co-chair of the ministerial meeting as the vice chair of the African Union (AU).

They agreed to expand cooperation across a wide range of areas, including economy, defense, maritime security, development cooperation and coordination on the international stage.

During a meeting with Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, Cho expressed hope for expanded cooperation in the energy sector with Algeria, South Korea's second-largest supplier of naphtha and 11th-largest crude oil supplier.

Attaf welcomed South Korean investment in Algeria's oil sector and pledged support for Korean companies operating in the country.

During talks with Angolan Foreign Minister Tete Antonio, Cho voiced hope for broader cooperation with Angola in energy and infrastructure amid global supply chain challenges.

Cho and Somali Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali expressed hope for more active exchanges ahead of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year and agreed to strengthen cooperation in development assistance, maritime security and the protection of nationals overseas.

Tanzanian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo appreciated South Korea's participation in development projects through the Economic Development Cooperation Fund. The top diplomat expressed hope for increased investment by South Korean companies in his country, according to the ministry.

On Tuesday, Cho also attended a breakfast meeting with representatives of three African organizations -- the AU, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and the African Development Bank.

He plans to hold separate talks with the foreign ministers of Nigeria, Malawi, Gambia, the Republic of the Congo, Togo, South Sudan and Egypt, the ministry said.

Government representatives, business leaders, and experts from South Korea and 50 African nations, out of the invited 54 countries, attended Monday's foreign ministers' meeting and the Korea-Africa Business Forum the following day to discuss joint responses to global challenges and ways to expand cooperation between the two sides for shared growth, according to the ministry.