1. 2nd Vice Foreign Minister Kim Sung-han will attend the Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan to be held in Tokyo on July 8.

2. The meeting, co-hosted by the Japanese and Afghan governments, will bring together delegates from 55 countries, including foreign ministers of major provider countries such as the US, the UK, Germany, France and Australia, and delegates from international organizations, including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The participants will discuss the Afghan government’s self-supporting strategies for economic and social development after 2014, when transition to the Afghan government will be completed, as well as ways for the international community to provide support.

3. In particular, the upcoming meeting will focus on the concept of “mutual accountability,” which aims to increase the effectiveness of international assistance by linking the international community’s long-term assistance to the Afghan government’s progress on reform and governance improvement.

4. At the meeting, Vice Foreign Minister Kim will stress the need for continuous cooperation between the Afghan government and the international community to achieve sustainable development and maintain peace and stability in Afghanistan. He will also express the ROK government’s intention to continue cooperation for Afghanistan’s economic and social development. 


                       Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFAT

* unofficial translation