Statement
by H.E. Cho Tae-yul
Vice Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea
at the Ministerial Conference
in Commemoration of
the 60th Anniversary of the 1955 Bandung Conference

April 20, 2015
Jakarta, Indonesia

Mme. President,

Sixty years ago, the leaders of 29 countries gathered in Bandung to participate in the First Asia-Africa Summit and the Ten Principles of Bandung were declared in an effort to establish a new international order. These principles represent their vision for a world where “the voice of reason” could be heard on international affairs, as then President Sukarno of Indonesia put it.

Indeed, amidst the vestiges of colonialism and in the face of the stark realities of the Cold War, the leaders of the newly independent countries in Asia and Africa decided to walk down the path of reason rather than a path of animosity arising from their struggle for independence. This Bandung Spirit developed into the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961.

It is true that the Non-Aligned Movement which aimed to break away from the Cold War structure lost some of its significance with the end of the Cold War in 1990. Moreover, due to the rapid development of globalization, the dazzling economic growth of some countries in Asia, and the resulting development gap among the developing countries, the Bandung Spirit and the Asian-African solidarity seemed to have somewhat withered.

However, the Bandung Spirit had been deeply ingrained in the foreign policies of Asia and Africa. The New Asian-African Strategic Partnership announced in 2005 was a resurrection of the Bandung Spirit calling for a collective response to the new challenges and for heightened cooperation between the two continents.

For the countries of Asia and Africa, the Bandung Spirit has provided a way forward in overcoming numerous challenges, while sailing through the Cold War and the post-Cold War periods and the tides of globalization and regional integration.

The Bandung Spirit contributed to raising the awareness that poverty, famine and the deprivation of socio-economic opportunities in the Third World were not problems of any one nation or region, but rather a common problem faced by the global community.

The Bandung Spirit has also served as a catalyst for enhancing connectivity and integration in Asia and Africa. A number of initiatives are now underway with the aim of strengthening connectivity within the region and between the two continents.

Now is the time for us to build upon the achievements made since the 1955 Bandung Conference and prepare for the next 60 years. For Asia and Africa to grow and prosper together, the following three points are in order.

First, Asia and Africa must take the lead in ending the past history of division and conflict and thereby contribute to building a permanent structure of peace and cooperation across the globe.

Only when the “security dilemma” has been resolved through the enhancement of mutual trust, will we be able to pave the road towards the establishment of true peace and prosperity.

The Trustpolitik of the government of the Republic of Korea is based on this belief. The Republic of Korea’s efforts to dismantle the current structure of distrust in the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia will contribute to building a mechanism for greater region-wide security cooperation, which in turn will hopefully lend impetus for cooperation with Africa as well.

Second, a foundation for co-prosperity must be established by increasing connectivity in the region. Bridging the gap between countries of the region is an urgent task necessary for building a prosperous Asia and Africa.

The ASEAN realized early on that bridging development gaps and increasing connectivity are the greatest challenges in building an ASEAN Community and has invested much efforts and resources in this regard. Such efforts to enhance physical, institutional and people-to-people connectivity must be devoted on a larger scale throughout Asia and Africa.

As an emerging FTA hub in Asia, the Republic of Korea will actively contribute to increasing regional connectivity as well as trade and investment liberalization by taking the lead in expanding the regional FTA networks.

In addition, the Republic of Korea will step up its efforts to strengthen cooperation with countries of Asia and Africa, fully making use of existing mechanisms such as the Korea-Africa Forum and the Korea-ASEAN Cooperation Fund.

Third, Asia and Africa must lead the growth of the global economy by continuously creating a new engine of growth and strengthening the South-South Cooperation to share development experiences and lessons learned.

While the economy of the developed countries has been faltering in recent years, the developing countries of Asia and Africa have been enjoying remarkable growth. In particular, Africa is the fastest growing continent in the world.

In order for Asia and Africa to sustain its current growth, it is necessary to establish good governance, effective institutions and sound national development strategies as well as domestic environments friendly to foreign investment and trade.

The Republic of Korea can be a perfect cooperation partner for the developing countries in Asia and Africa towards this end, as we know better than any other country the constraints and bottlenecks lying in their quest for prosperity. Currently, 80% of Korea’s foreign aid goes to Asia and Africa.

The Republic of Korea will continue to provide assistance for the Asian and African countries in their road towards sustainable development. In doing so, focus will be placed on their capacity-building. By sharing our success as well as failure stories, we will remain a source of hope and inspiration for the countries of Asia and Africa.

Mme. President,

With all the efforts of the past 60 years, the face of today’s world is a far cry from what the leaders of the 1st Bandung Conference envisioned. The horrors we are witnessing in Syria and Iraq bitterly show that the world we live in is not a world in which the “voice of reason” is listened to.

However, the Bandung Spirit lives on. To create a world in which human dignity and democratic values are fully respected, we must uphold the Bandung Spirit. I hope that today’s conference will mark another milestone in Asian-African cooperation by renewing our commitment to usher in the next 60 years of opportunity and hope.

As a trusted partner, friend, and supporter of Asia and Africa, the Republic of Korea is committed to walking that path together.

Thank you. /End/