By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul met with Wamkele Keabetswe Mene, Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, who is visiting Korea on the sidelines of the Jeju Forum (May 28-29), and exchanged views on expanding economic cooperation between Korea and Africa and strengthening the Secretariat's capacity on May 27, 2025.

Minister Cho welcomed Mr. Mene to Korea and expressed his pleasure that Korea, which has been supporting the accelerated implementation of the AfCFTA since its inception in 2021, will be able to utilize the newly established Korea-AfCFTA Cooperation Fund to further revitalize economic cooperation with the African continent.

Mr. Mene commended the Republic of Korea for its successful hosting of the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit and expressed his appreciation for its support to the work of the AfCFTA Secretariat in various ways.

Mr. Mene expressed his hope that the Korea-AfCFTA Cooperation Fund will facilitate mutually beneficial practical cooperation projects between Korea and Africa, as well as expand the access of outstanding Korean companies to Africa.

Prior to the meeting, Minister Cho and Secretary General Mene signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Korea-AfCFTA Cooperation Fund.

Through the signing of the MOU, the two sides laid the institutional foundation for effective and efficient management of the fund, including joint consultation on the identification, implementation, and evaluation of fund projects.

This is expected to expand Korean companies' entry into the African market and cooperation between companies and related organizations on both sides.