1. First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam visited Egypt on March 25 and 26, during which he held a meeting with Special Adviser to the President for National Security Fayza Aboulnaga as well as a meeting and a luncheon with Deputy Foreign Minister Hamdi Sanad Loza. On those occasions, the two sides discussed ways that the Republic of Korea and Egypt can work more closely together across the board, including in advancing their comprehensive cooperative partnership forged in March 2016.

2. The two sides took note of the steady advances in their bilateral relations in various sectors, including political affairs, economy, culture and national defense, since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1995. They agreed to continue efforts to maintain the momentum of cooperation, including through high-level exchanges; to step up substantive cooperation in trade, investment and development; and to work more closely together on regional issues.

° Vice Minister Lim asked for the Egyptian government’s keen attention to and support for bids of Korean companies to take part in the subway project in Cairo and other infrastructure projects in Egypt. He also requested the Egyptian government make efforts to better ensure the safety of Korean residents and travelers in Egypt.

° The Vice Minister extended appreciation to Egypt, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2016-2017 term, for its active role in the lead-up to the adoption and in the implementation of Security Council resolutions on North Korea.

° The Egyptian side, bringing attention to Egypt’s interest in the ROK’s economic growth achieved on the back of the development of human resources and investment in science and technology, highlighted the need for the two countries to work more closely together on education, science and technology. On that note, he expressed hope for more investment by Korean companies in the sectors of electronics, automobiles and infrastructure in Egypt.

3. Vice Minister Lim’s visit to Egypt, a major country in the region with a great potential for growth in terms of the population, the size of the market, the geopolitical significance, and the dynamic nature of the population, is seen to have played a role in further enhancing the friendship and cooperation across the board with the country.

4. Following his trip to Egypt, Vice Minister Lim will visit India from March 27 till 29. His visits to Egypt and India are expected to serve as a significant opportunity to step up substantive cooperation and enhance the strategic bond with the major countries in Africa/Middle East and Southwest Asia, and thereby to broaden the ROK’s diplomatic horizon.


* unofficial translation