By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo
(New Year Message)
Dear readers of the Diplomacy Journal,
Looking back on the year that is about to end, we realize that it was marked by the outbreak of conflicts in several parts of the globe and by elections in various parts of the world, including South Korea, where parliamentary elections were held in April. Unfortunately, military conflicts have also dominated international news, with wars in Europe, the conflict in the Middle East, not to mention some localized conflicts in Africa, in all cases with unnecessary loss of human lives and almost total destruction of their infrastructures.
The year 2024 will also be marked by the occurrence of several natural disasters, a concern that should draw the attention of all nations, especially the more developed ones, to the need for greater engagement in environmental issues. Domestically, the recent political events in Korea are a real lesson for us about liberal democracy in Korea, a country with strong institutions.
Angola has sought to focus its diplomatic action on intensifying bilateral relations, with the aim of building a solid foundation of trust that will allow us to develop mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation and, at the same time, convey our interest in welcoming South Korean businesspeople interested in the Angolan market, within the scope of the vast opportunities we offer.
As a young country, Angola has spared no effort with a view to its economic and social development, which is why it has committed itself to building important road, port, airport and energy infrastructures. In this regard, we would like to highlight the completion of construction work on the new Luanda International Airport, which has already been in operation, with priority given to national flights, since last November.
On the other hand, the Lobito Corridor, also known as the Benguela Railway (CFB), is a rail transportation route that connects the African interior to the Atlantic Ocean, including landlocked nations such as Zambia and the DRC. This important infrastructure has attracted the interest of several countries, including the US, whose President Joe Biden traveled to Angola to see the progress made and announced an increase in US investment of another 600 million dollars.
Still on the subject of relations with Angola, I would like to mention the visit in April 2024 that the President of Angola made to South Korea, at the invitation of his South Korean counterpart. In this regard, I must say that it was very fruitful and aimed to relaunch political-diplomatic relations and bilateral cooperation, as well as to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the economic, technical-scientific, cultural and commercial fields. During President João Lourenço's visit, four agreements were signed in the areas of trade, health, public order and diplomacy.
The visit was part of Korea's desire to strengthen its presence in Africa, including Angola. I should also highlight Angola's participation, in June of this year, in the Korea-Africa Summit 2024, at which it was represented by an important delegation, led by the Minister of State for Economic Coordination. During the event, an agreement was signed on the K-Rice belt project, aimed at the agricultural sector, and K-SURE, to secure funding for projects linked to the energy sector, with an emphasis on renewables.
Notwithstanding the signing of these important agreements, Angola has expressed its interest in concluding the negotiation of the legal instruments that are still pending, in particular the Agreement for the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investment (APPRI), as well as taking steps to create the Angola-Korea Chamber of Commerce. We hope that by 2025 we can make these two projects a reality.
Finally, I would like to extend our sincere good wishes to all South Koreans for a happy and prosperous New Year.
