President Moon Holds Summit with Austrian President... "Meaningful as the First Visit by a Korean President Ahead of the 130th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations"
[Austria (Vienna) = Joint Press Corps] "It is very meaningful as the first visit by a Korean president ahead of the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries next year." President Moon Jae-in said this during a summit meeting with President Alexander Van der Bellen on the 14th (local time). Korea and Austria share a historically special bond.
President Moon said, "Although both countries share a painful common history of war and divided occupation, they also have in common that despite relatively small territories and limited natural resources, they have developed into strong small countries centered on manufacturing," adding, "The two countries are expanding cooperation in future advanced industries and jointly responding to new challenges such as COVID-19 and the climate crisis."
Park Kyung-mi, spokesperson for the Blue House, explained, "They exchanged wide-ranging opinions on bilateral relations, global issues such as climate and environment, the Korean Peninsula, and international affairs," and added, "President Moon emphasized the long history of 130 years of diplomatic relations by mentioning Mrs. Francesca, the wife of Korea’s first president who was from Austria, and nurses Marianne and Margaret, known as the ‘Angels of Sorokdo.’"
Spokesperson Park added, "President Moon explained, ‘Nurses Marianne and Margaret devoted themselves at Sorokdo Hansen’s disease hospital, one of the most marginalized places in Korea, and left a letter before suddenly departing, which deeply moved Koreans. There is a movement in Korea to nominate these two nurses for the Nobel Peace Prize.’"
President Moon said, "Since the two countries agreed today to elevate their relationship to a ‘strategic partnership,’ I am confident that the friendly cooperative relationship will be further solidified as we mark the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year."
President Van der Bellen proposed cooperation between the two countries, saying, "The industrial research and production linkage regarding hydrogen is important." President Moon responded, "Austria has strengths in hydrogen research, and Korea was the first to commercialize hydrogen vehicles and leads in exports and distribution, so cooperation between the two countries will create synergy."
President Moon noted that a total of four agreements were signed during this visit, including the ‘Second Protocol to the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement’ and agreements in culture, youth, and education sectors, and expressed hope that "through the ‘Cultural Cooperation Agreement,’ exchanges and mutual understanding between the two countries will be enhanced in various fields such as culture, arts, and human exchange."
Meanwhile, Margarete Schramb?ck, Minister of Digital and Economic Affairs, said, "I have visited Korea and met with the ministers of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries. Since visiting Korea, I eat Korean food, especially Kimchi, once a week." She added, "Korea is a role model country for Austria in the digital field including 5G, and I hope cooperation will be activated not only in the digital field but also in the hydrogen sector."
Andrea Meyer, Deputy Minister of Culture, emphasized musical exchange, saying, "The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna Boys' Choir frequently visit Korea to perform, and I understand that the Korea-Austria Philharmonic Orchestra is holding its 22nd concert this year."
Spokesperson Park explained, "President Moon concluded the meeting by inviting President Van der Bellen to visit Korea next year, marking the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries."
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