1. Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam, in his capacity as head delegate of the Republic of Korea, attended the ministerial session of the “Kuwait International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq” held in the namesake country on February 14, where he announced the ROK government’s plan to contribute 21.45 million US dollars in 2018 for the reconstruction of Iraq.

° The donation will consist of 11.45 million US dollars in official development assistance (ODA) and another 10 million US dollars in humanitarian assistance, which includes 5 million US dollars in stabilization fund.

2. The ministerial session of the Kuwait International Conference, the first of its kind co-hosted by the Kuwaiti and Iraqi governments, the UN, the World Bank Group and the EU to discuss ways to rebuild Iraq, is seen to have served as an opportunity to muster the commitment of the international community to the reconstruction of Iraq.   

° King Al Sabah of Kuwait announced the plan to contribute 2 billion US dollars -- 1 billion in loans and another 1 billion in investment -- for the cause.

° Prime Minister Al Abadi of Iraq appealed for the international community’s attention to and support for the efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in Iraq that had been exacerbated in the course of tackling violent extremism, as well as to rebuild and develop the country.

° UN Secretary-General Guterres, putting forward a new program designed for a successful reconstruction of Iraq, voiced hope that the Iraqi people will feel the effect of the reconstruction efforts.

° President Kim Yong of the World Bank Group, relaying the Group’s commitment to help to reconstruct Iraq, stressed that for the reconstruction efforts to be successful in Iraq, private enterprises should join them.

° High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Mogherini of the EU highlighted the need to respond to such urgent challenges as providing emergency humanitarian assistance for the Iraqi people, as well as the importance of both the reconstruction of physical infrastructure and the investment in the human resource development.

※ The Kuwait International Conference, held from February 12 till 14, consisted of an expert group session on February 12, a meeting with enterprises on February 13 and a ministerial session on February 14.

- Representatives from leading energy and construction companies of the ROK attended the February 13 session hosted by the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

3. In the keynote speech he delivered in his capacity as the ROK’s head delegate to the Conference, Vice Minister Lim shared with the other participants the ROK government’s humanitarian assistance to Iraq and its development cooperation therewith, and announced the ROK government’s plan to contribute 21.45 million US dollars in 2018, affirming its support for reconstruction efforts in Iraq.  

° The Vice Minister also spoke about Korean companies’ work and contribution toward the reconstruction of Iraq, including their participation in the Bismayah New City construction project; and stressed that it is important in the course of reconstruction for Iraq to be united to achieve political stability and embrace diversity.

※ The ROK government’s assistance to Iraq

- The ODA from 1987 till 2016 amounted to a combined 472.07 million US dollars.

- The humanitarian assistance from 2014 till 2017 totaled 28.938 million US dollars.

4. On the sidelines of the multilateral Conference, Vice Minister Lim met bilaterally with Foreign Minister Al Jubeir and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Gargash, head delegates from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, respectively. 

° In the ROK-Saudi meeting, the two sides took note of the progress in bilateral cooperation in such traditional areas of cooperation as energy and construction; discussed ways that the Korean side can take part in Saudi work to fulfill its Vision 2030, a plan for national development with less dependence on oil, as well as its commercial nuclear power plant construction project; and agreed to further increase reciprocal visits by high-level officials and other people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

° The ROK-UAE meeting covered the recent brisk progress in high-level exchanges, including the dispatches of special envoys, between the two countries; and discussed the possibility of broadening the scope of strategic partnership, forged in December 2009, to include healthcare, medical services, education, culture and various other sectors.

* unofficial translation