1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held the “APEC workshop on sharing rural development experiences for food security and quality growth” in Can Tho, Vietnam, on August 20 (chaired by Director-General for Global Economic Affairs Hong Young-ki).

o The workshop took place to contribute to devising an “APEC action plan on rural-urban development to strengthen food security and quality growth,” to be adopted as an outcome document at the APEC high-level policy dialogue on food security (August 25, Can Tho). The workshop brought together about 30 people: officials in charge of rural development policies from ten countries, including the US, China, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and Peru, as well as experts from international organizations.

2. At the workshop, the participants shared good examples of rural development strategies and experiences of rural development through development cooperation, and discussed ways to implement the strategic framework for rural-urban development in order to help develop innovative, inclusive and sustainable strategies for rural-urban development in the Asia-Pacific.

o In particular, the ROK explained its rural development strategies, including reducing the infrastructure gap between urban and rural areas, strengthening connectivity between urban and rural areas, and establishing an interagency cooperation system for rural development. The ROK also shared its experience of supporting a developing country (Vietnam)’s rural development through cooperation between the private and public sectors.

- Rural development experts from Japan, Thailand and Indonesia also shared their countries’ rural development strategies and experiences of rural development through development cooperation, proposing effective rural development policies to implement the framework for rural-urban development.

o The workshop was also attended by experts from international organizations, including Director of Development Impact Group Simona Marinescu of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and Deputy Director of the Development Centre Federico Bonaglia of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

- They highlighted the importance of developing rural development strategies tailored to each region, establishing a system for close cooperation among agencies dealing with rural development, and building multi-level governance for inclusive growth, as they are factors that contribute to rural development. They also discussed ways to apply them in the Asia-Pacific.

3. The ROK government will continue to expand cooperation with APEC member states in order to effectively respond to food security issues in the region and facilitate inclusive growth.


* unofficial translation