1. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Plurinational State of Bolivia, the government of the Republic of Korea appointed Mr. Jang Myung-soo*, former Ambassador to Argentina, as Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to further strengthen the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries. Amb. Jang paid an official visit to La Paz, the administrative capital of Bolivia, from Wednesday, April 9 to Friday, April 11. During his visit, he had several meetings with Bolivia’s top-ranked officials, including the Vice President of Bolivia, the Minister of Environment and Water and the Minister of Development Planning, and attended the 2025 Korea-Bolivia Future Cooperation Forum (“Foro de Cooperacion hacia el Futuro”).

* Amb. Jang previously served as Ambassador to Argentina, Ambassador to Colombia, and Director-General for Latin American and Caribbean Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

※ The ROK and Bolivia established diplomatic relations on April 25, 1965. Amb. Jang’s visit to Bolivia is the first visit made by a high-level official of Korea to the country in the past two years, after a special envoy of the Foreign Minister visited La Paz in May 2023.

2. On the first day, April 9, Amb. Jang paid a courtesy call on Bolivian Vice President David Choquehuanca Céspedes. The two sides recognized the continued development of friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries over the past 60 years and agreed to further strengthen substantive cooperation across a wide range of areas. He expressed his sincere condolences for the victims of the recent heavy rains and flooding in Bolivia, reassuring solidarity with the Bolivian people. He also expressed hope for the revitalization of high-level exchanges between the two countries, in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the 200th anniversary of Bolivia’s independence.

3. On the following day, April 10, Amb. Jang had a meeting with Bolivian Minister of Environment and Water, Mr. Alvaro Ruiz García. Both sides shared the view that cooperation should be strengthened in the international arena to address climate change while exchanging views on ways to enhance bilateral cooperation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

4. Amb. Jang also met with Bolivian Minister of Development Planning, Mr. Sergio Cusicanqui Loayza, on the same day. The two sides assessed the outcomes of bilateral development cooperation and discussed the potential for expanding substantive cooperation into emerging sectors, including critical minerals such as lithium. Minister Cusicanqui acknowledged Korea's contributions and its role as a development cooperation partner of Bolivia, while Amb. Jang emphasized the importance of further promoting substantive partnership by enhancing the quality and effectiveness of development cooperation, particularly in light of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations. 

※  Following the meeting, Amb. Jang attended the signing ceremony of a new concessional loan agreement under the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) between the Export-Import Bank of Korea and the Ministry of Development Planning of Bolivia.

5. Meanwhile, Amb. Jang attended the 2025 Korea-Bolivia Future Cooperation Forum, held on the morning of Thursday, April 10. He outlined Korea's vision for strengthening future-oriented bilateral cooperation. Amb. Jang emphasized that Korea and Latin America are optimal partners in jointly addressing various global challenges based on their complementary relationship. He expressed hope that Korea and Bolivia would elevate bilateral ties to a future-oriented partnership by deepening high-level exchanges, enhancing cooperation as economic and development partners, and strengthening joint responses to global challenges such as climate change and supply chain disruptions. To this end, he proposed that both countries make joint efforts in a concrete and practical manner.

6. Amid growing uncertainty driven by global polycrisis, the visit of the Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to Bolivia was seen as an opportunity to reaffirm Korea's unwavering commitment to promoting friendly and cooperative relations with Latin America, while reinforcing the foundation for substantive cooperation with the region. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue its diplomatic efforts to deepen these relations.