1. The third Republic of Korea-Spain meeting of directors-general for Latin American affairs will take place in Madrid, Spain, on October 17. In the meeting, the ROK’s head delegate, Director-General for Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Huh Tae-wan of the ROK Foreign Ministry, will exchange views with his Spanish counterpart Antonio Perez-Hernandez on the situation in Latin America; the foreign policies of their two countries toward Latin America; and ways to work together in the region.

※ Spain has been working closely with Latin America in various sectors based on their long-standing historical and cultural bond, while leading the activities of the Ibero-American Community of Nations, whose members include 19 major Latin American countries. The ROK and Spain hold the meeting of the directors-general for Latin American affairs to exchange information on Latin America and discuss ways to work together in the region. The first of its kind took place in April 2014.

2. In the forthcoming meeting, the two sides will exchange in-depth views on the rapidly changing politico-economic situation in Latin America and its outlook.

° In addition, the two sides will discuss ways to boost economic cooperation mainly for the fourth industrial revolution and in information and communications technology (ICT)-related areas, which the new ROK government has been seeking actively as part of efforts to strengthen its diplomacy toward Latin America. They will also consult with each other on ways to step up substantive cooperation with regional organizations in Latin America.

° Furthermore, the two sides will explore ways to jointly enter Latin American markets, mainly in areas of concern of Korean enterprises, such as construction, infrastructure, transportation and ICT.

3. The upcoming meeting is expected to help increase cooperation with Spain, a country that has gained rich experiences and know-how across the board in Latin America based on its long-standing historical and cultural bond with the region, thereby contributing to the ROK’s strategic efforts to intensify diplomacy toward Latin America and support bids of Korean companies to build presence in the region.

4. Prior to the third ROK-Spain meeting of the directors-general for Latin American affairs, the first forum on cooperation between the ROK and the Ibero-American Community of Nations will take place in Madrid, Spain, bringing together delegates from the governments, academic circles and businesses of the two countries.

※ The Ibero-American Community of Nations is a regional organization among the countries on the Iberian Peninsula -- Spain and Portugal -- and 22 Latin American countries that seeks to promote cooperation and exchanges in non-political areas based on their cultural and linguistic uniformity. The ROK joined the body in 2016 as an observer.

° The forum, which will come to mark the first anniversary of the ROK’s accession to the Ibero-American Community in October 2016, will cover ways that the ROK and the Community can work together and that the ROK and Spain can jointly build presence in Latin America.


* unofficial translation