President Yoon Holds Talks with Leaders of 7 African Countries... Concludes Relay Meetings

Series of Summit Meetings on the Occasion of the Korea-Africa Summit
Seven Leaders Including Equatorial Guinea Meet AU Commission Chair
Conclusion of Bilateral Talks on the Day

President Yoon Suk-yeol is conversing with Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of Equatorial Guinea, during the South Korea-Equatorial Guinea summit held on the 5th at the Yongsan Presidential Office in Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 5th, President Yoon Suk-yeol held bilateral talks with leaders from seven African countries, including Equatorial Guinea, who visited Korea for the Korea-Africa Summit, as well as with the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, to discuss cooperation measures. With the conclusion of these talks, President Yoon completed bilateral meetings with all African leaders visiting Korea.

The Presidential Office announced that in the afternoon, President Yoon held separate talks with Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of Equatorial Guinea; Isaias Afwerki, President of Eritrea; Mokgweetsi Eric Masisi, President of Botswana; King Mswati III of Eswatini; Faustin-Archange Touad?ra, President of the Central African Republic; Wavel Ramkalawan, President of Seychelles; Azali Assoumani, President of Comoros; and Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

During the talks, President Yoon expressed his intention to expand bilateral cooperation and realize a future jointly created by Korea and Africa. The African leaders highly appreciated Korea’s commitment to cooperation with Africa and requested continued contributions to Africa’s development.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is shaking hands with President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea at the Korea-Eritrea summit held on the 5th at the Yongsan Presidential Office in Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

In the summit with Equatorial Guinea, President Yoon agreed to expand the entry of Korean companies in major infrastructure sectors such as international airports and water supply and sewage facilities, and to share experiences from the Saemaul Undong (New Village Movement).

With Eritrea, they agreed to increase Korean corporate participation in infrastructure and mineral resources sectors, and to strengthen cooperation in a wide range of fields including workforce training and development, and agriculture and fisheries. Additionally, with Botswana, they decided to expand bilateral trade and investment through efforts such as promoting the conclusion of a Trade and Investment Promotion Framework (TIPF), and with Eswatini, to develop cooperation in healthcare infrastructure and petroleum refining infrastructure.

Furthermore, cooperation in the energy sector, including solar power facilities, was discussed with the Central African Republic, and with the African Union, ways to facilitate Korean companies’ entry into the African market through the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) were discussed.

President Yoon held a series of meetings with a total of 25 African leaders, including those from four countries?Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Mauritania?officially visited on the occasion of the Korea-Africa Summit.

The Korea-Africa Summit was held under the theme "Creating the Future Together: Mutual Growth, Sustainability, and Solidarity." Out of the 54 African Union member states based on UN membership, 48 countries attended, excluding six countries suspended from the African Union. Among them, leaders or high-level representatives from 33 countries participated. This summit was the first Africa-targeted summit hosted by Korea and the largest multilateral meeting since the inauguration of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.