President Andrzej Duda Holds Summit with Yoon
"Expecting Korean Weapons to Export Beyond Poland to Europe"
"Korean Companies Will Create More Jobs"
President Yoon Suk-yeol is holding a joint press conference between Korea and Poland with Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 24th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Andrzej Duda, President of Poland, who is on a state visit to Korea, said on the 24th, "As the President of Poland and the commander-in-chief of the military, I am very satisfied with the Korea-Poland military and defense industry cooperation," adding, "I believe there is great potential for expanding cooperation in the defense sector going forward."
President Duda made these remarks during a joint press conference with President Yoon Suk-yeol at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the afternoon.
He stated, "Poland is purchasing a large scale of many excellent Korean weapons."
President Duda explained, "One of the biggest reasons Poland decided to purchase Korean-made weapons is because, through close cooperation with Korea over the past 35 years, we have come to know the superior quality of the products well."
He added, "I have also spoken directly with Polish soldiers who operate Korean weapons such as the K2 tank, Cheonmu, and K9 self-propelled howitzer," and said, "The soldiers highly evaluate Korean-made weapons, and there is deep political and economic trust in Korean companies conducting large-scale production activities in Poland."
President Duda further explained, "Based on this, we hope that Korean-made weapons will be produced in Poland in the future, and that Korean-made weapons produced in Poland will be exported not only to the Polish military but also to other European countries."
To this end, President Duda emphasized that close consultations are underway between the defense ministries of both countries, and that efforts to actively seek increased cooperation are being made through the Korea-Poland summit held that day.
He said, "I expect good news regarding defense industry cooperation soon," and added, "Korean companies, which already employ more than 30,000 people in Poland, will create even more jobs."
President Yoon Suk-yeol is walking together with President Andrzej Duda of Poland at the official state visit welcome ceremony held on the lawn in front of the Yongsan Presidential Office in Seoul on the 24th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
President Duda also said, "We are deepening cooperation in the chemical sector," noting that "Hyundai Heavy Industries is constructing a large-scale nitrogen production plant in Poland." He mentioned that there was a recent initial contact between related agencies in the aerospace sector and expressed expectations for expanded cooperation in this field soon.
Referring to Korea's recent decision to import Polish drones, President Duda said, "Explosive ordnance disposal robots are also a competitive field for Poland, and we hope to export them to Korea."
In particular, President Duda expressed hope for an increase in Poland's agricultural and food exports, saying, "I hope that products from Poland, an excellent agricultural and food producer, will be widely introduced to Korean consumers, and I requested President Yoon's attention and support to expedite the approval process for the export of Polish beef."
Regarding security issues, he expressed gratitude for Korea's consistent political and humanitarian support for Ukraine.
He added, "Poland has also actively supported Ukraine since the early stages of the war and has provided many weapons it possessed to Ukraine," explaining, "For this reason, a gap in military power occurred, leading us to purchase large-scale weapons from the United States and Korea."
President Duda said, "Poland has been a member of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission since 1953 and views the recent escalation of tensions with concern," adding, "Poland understands better than anyone that Korea needs peace and appreciates Korea's efforts to maintain peace for over 60 years."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
