Welcoming Remarks by H.E. Mr. LIM Sungnam
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea
At the Second ROK-EU International Conference on Middle Eastern and North African Affairs

Your Excellency Mr. Ali Zeidan, Former Prime Minister of Libya,
Your Excellency Mr. Abdulmalek Al-Mikhlafi, Foreign Minister of Yemen,
Mr. Hannes Swoboda, Former Member of the European Parliament,
Ambassador Gerhard Sabathil, Head of the Delegation of the European Union,
Ambassadors, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure and privilege for me to extend a warm welcome to all of you here today to attend the 2nd Korea-EU International Conference on Middle Eastern and North African Affairs.

I am particularly pleased to see here on this occasion many familiar faces and such an array of eminent leaders, scholars and practitioners.

I understand that Korea and the EU initiated this conference last year, believing that we can better assist the Middle East in identifying the best way forward through a lively exchange of constructive and forward-looking views.

On a personal note, I still remember the days when I was serving as First Secretary in Korea's Mission to the UN in charge of Middle Eastern issues both in the Security Council and the General Assembly around 20 years ago.

At that time, I benefited greatly from the wisdom and expertise of my European colleagues whenever thorny issues related to the Middle East were brought up for debate at the UN.

And of course independent and candid perspectives from colleagues of the Middle East were indispensible for a deeper understanding of the region.

Partly on the basis of my own experience, I understand that Korea and EU members have shown a similar voting pattern when it comes to Middle Eastern issues at the UN, as like-minded partners. A unified voice is a power in itself, encouraging all stake-holders to take positive action.
However, the views and voices of those on the outside are one thing. Political leadership from within to tackle a crisis is another. I believe that the key to the solution of problems rests ultimately in vision and courage on the part of the regional leadership.

Some people view the current situation in the Middle East from the perspective of the“Return of Geopolitics.”

But I see a significant difference here, in comparison with the past. While I believe that local players are increasingly taking the lead in creating the dynamics in the region, they need to assume greater responsibility for the stability and prosperity of their own region.

The International Syria Support Group comprising all the stakeholders in the region is an excellent instance of this. We fully support its continued and collective efforts to end the Syrian tragedy which has been unfolding now for years.

It is only through an inclusive political process and social cohesion that a sustainable solution can be found.

I disagree with the concept of so-called“Middle East Exceptionalism,” not because I deny the unique nature of the Middle East but because I believe in the universal value of placing the priority on people.

In this regard, it is my heartfelt hope that the Islamic values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence will be fully realized – this will be invaluable in addressing the difficulties in the region.

Distinguished Guests,

If we reflect on modern history, one might say that there are some similarities between the way the demarcation line was drawn on the Korean Peninsula about 70 years ago and the way the current borders in the Middle East were conceived by the Sykes-Picot agreement exactly 100 years ago.

The borders imposed by outsiders in the past still have an impact both on the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East in one way or another.

To make a long story short, in the case of the Korean Peninsula, the situation is far from being stable, as evidenced by North Korea's nuclear test early this year.

While the nature of the threats is quite different, the Middle East is also not free from factors of instability such as ISIL, violent extremism, crises faced in the process of political transition and humanitarian catastrophes.

While there are undoubtedly significant differences in the specific historical context of the situation on the Korean Peninsula and that in the Middle East, the solutions to the problems faced in our two regions may not differ widely.

In the case of the Korean Peninsula, the key to securing peace and prosperity lies in whether the international community will be able to induce a change in the strategic calculation on the part of Pyongyang's leadership regarding its nuclear and missile programs.

Likewise, in the Middle East, I believe that the crucial element is whether the key stakeholders will be able to redefine their strategic interests from a win-win perspective.

On a different but related note, the way that the Republic of Korea proved able to achieve rapid economic progress and political development within about half a century after the end of the Korean War in the early 1950s, may serve as a valuable reference for the Middle East of today.

In short, Korea was able to emerge as the country it is today by focusing on the cultivation of human resources through education. In this context, I believe and hope that Korea and the Middle East will be able, as true partners, to forge even stronger ties through a two-way learning process.

I would like to bring my remarks to a close by emphasizing that Korea will indeed continue to strengthen its “Politically Involved, Economically Innovative, Culturally Interactive” Partnership with the Middle East. And I would like to express my wish for the great success of this conference as well as for the full realization of all the aspirations of each and every participant in this hall. Thank you very much.

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