1. Foreign Minister Adhanom Tedros of Ethiopia will visit the Republic of Korea on June 19-24, accompanied by a 200-member delegation, to hold commemorative events for the 50th anniversary of the ROK-Ethiopia diplomatic relations.

° During his visit, Minister Tedros will host a ROK-Ethiopia Business Forum on June 20, a reception marking the 50th anniversary of the ROK-Ethiopia diplomatic relations on June 21, an event at the Memorial Hall for Ethiopian Veterans in the Korean War located in Chuncheon City on June 22, and a cultural performance on June 23.

2. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations, Ethiopian Airlines will extend its existing Addis Ababa-Hong Kong route to Incheon and start operating four direct flights per week between Addis Ababa and Incheon via Hong Kong on June 18. It will mark the first African air carrier to operate flights to and from Incheon.

3. The ROK’s Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se will meet with Minister Tedros on June 20. In the meeting, the two Ministers will review the great progress in the special friendship and cooperation between the two countries over the past 50 years. They will also exchange views on ways to further strengthen bilateral relations in a wide range of fields, including not only government affairs and economy but also development and educational cooperation as well as cultural exchanges.

4. The ROK has maintained special friendship and cooperation with Ethiopia since the establishment of diplomatic relations with the country in 1963. The relationship forged during the Korean War where the two countries fought side by side was upgraded by the ROK President’s state visit to the country in July 2011. In this vein, the ROK government chose Ethiopia as one of its principal partners for official development assistance (ODA) and has since conducted development cooperation tailored to the country’s situation, while extending support for its efforts to build an industrial complex.

                     Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation