1. The 12th Korea-Middle East Cooperation Forum, co-hosted by the Korea-Arab Society (KAS), the Jeju Peace Institute (JPI) and the Arab Thought Forum (ATF), and sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, took place in Seoul on October 26.

o The Forum has been held in the form of mutual visits every year since 2003.

2. In his keynote address at the Forum, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se presented “Involved,” “Innovative” and “Interactive” as key words for cooperative partnership between the ROK and the Middle East.

o Stronger involvement: The ROK has been expanding its contributions for peace and stability in the Middle East by sending its Cheong-hae and Dong-myung units to participate in anti-piracy operations and reconstruction activities; cooperating with regional organizations; strengthening humanitarian diplomacy, including assistance for refugees; and taking part in the anti-ISIL coalition.

o Expansion of innovative partnership: The ROK has been expanding economic cooperation in the high value-added sectors which provide new engines for growth in the post-oil era, including health and medical services, ICT and nuclear reactors.

o Heart-to-heart interaction: The ROK has been making efforts to help the people of the two sides better understand each other, including activities to spread the Korean Wave (growing popularity of Korean culture), people-to-people exchanges, language education, and various events organized by cultural centers.

3. Assessing that the Middle East region as a whole is now in the process of seeking a new equilibrium, Minister Yun stressed that a solution to the Middle East issue needs to be based on humanitarianism and human dignity.

o He also emphasized that both regions, in the process of overcoming geo-political challenges, need to strengthen mutually-beneficial cooperation.

4. The latest Forum under the theme “'Partnership for Peace, Prosperity and People” featured three sessions (security challenges, economic cooperation, and future society). The Forum brought together about 250 people, including incumbent and former high-level officials from the ROK and the Middle East, members of the diplomatic corps in the ROK, and people from economic circles, academia and the media.

o In the first session, participants analyzed and made policy recommendations regarding major security issues in the regions, including the situation in Syria and refugee crisis, and the Iran nuclear deal’s implications for the North Korean nuclear issue. In the second session, participants discussed new challenges and opportunities in the ROK-Middle East economic cooperation, including ways for financial cooperation in the era of low oil prices, and cooperation in health and medical services. In the third session, participants made presentations and held discussions on ways to build a happier society, including promoting women’s rights and solving youth unemployment problem.

5. The Korea-Middle East Cooperation Forum is a signature “track-1.5” forum, attended by government officials and leaders from various sectors of the ROK and the Middle East. It is also a forum for discussions where participants explore ways to enhance mutual understanding and deepen cooperation between the ROK and the Middle East. The Forum is contributing to the continuous expansion of bases for the ROK’s foreign policy towards the Middle East.


*unofficial translation