1. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met with Vice President of Sierra Leone Victor Foh on December 14, and exchanged views on a range of issues, including the government of the Republic of Korea’s support in Sierra Leone’s fight against Ebola, as well as other issues of mutual concern, such as politics, economy and development cooperation.

2. While mentioning that the ROK is a true friend, as it provided active support when Sierra Leone was in a difficult situation, Vice President Foh expressed appreciation for the ROK’s support in Sierra Leone’s efforts to fight Ebola. He also expressed hope that the ROK and Sierra Leone will strengthen cooperation in various sectors, including development cooperation, agriculture, infrastructure, economy, education, tourism, and fisheries.

3. Minister Yun said that he was pleased that the ROK government contributed to Sierra Leone’s efforts to overcome the Ebola crisis, including by sending its overseas emergency relief team to Sierra Leone as well as providing financial support. Minister Yun also said that as part of the “Safe Life for All” initiative, announced in September this year, the ROK will continue to expand its contributions through a project to support drinking water facilities, aimed at preventing the outbreaks of infectious diseases in Sierra Leone.

4. Vice President Foh noted with appreciation that roads and bridges built by Korean companies in Sierra Leone show their advanced construction skills, and asked Korean companies to make best use of economic opportunities in Sierra Leone, including natural resources and a favorable business environment. Vice President Foh also requested that the ROK actively participate in post-Ebola reconstruction projects, including hospital and housing construction projects, in addition to the project to build a Freetown city hall, which is being conducted through the ROK government’s concessional loans.

5. Minister Yun explained that the Freetown city hall project was suspended due to the Ebola crisis, but the project will resume soon, as the WHO declared the end of the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone on November 7 and the ROK government lowered the travel-alert level for Sierra Leone on December 2. Minister Yun said that Korean companies with a lot of experiences in overseas construction and advanced technologies will become good partners in all sectors of the Sierra Leone economy.

6. Sharing the view that the opening of the Embassy of Sierra Leone in the ROK in February last year shows that the ROK and Sierra Leone are getting closer, the two sides agreed to work together to realize the potential for cooperation between the ROK and Sierra Leone on bilateral and multilateral issues.


*unofficial translation