1. Commissioner for Trade and Industry (minister-level) of the African Union Commission Albert Muchanga will visit the Republic of Korea from April 13 to 21.

o During his visit to the ROK, Commissioner Muchanga will meet with Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun; attend a meeting of the African diplomatic corps in the ROK, hosted by the Director-General for African and Middle Eastern Affairs; give a lecture at the Korea Development Institute (KDI) School of Public Policy and Management; and visit the National Geographic Information Institute.

※ The African Union (AU), created as a successor to the Organization of African Unity (OAU) (established in May 1963), aims to facilitate African integration; promote common interests and positions; encourage regional cooperation for peace and security; facilitate poverty eradication and economic development; and promote democracy, the rule of law, and good governance. It is headquartered in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia (55 members, including Western Sahara, which is not a member of the UN).

※ The AU Commission is the Union’s Secretariat entrusted with executive and administrative functions, preparing the AU’s common positions, and dealing with political and foreign affairs.

- It consists of a Chairperson, a Deputy Chairperson, and eight Commissioners ((①peace and security, ②political affairs, ③infrastructure and energy, ④society, ⑤industry and trade, ⑥rural economy, ⑦human resources, and science and technology, ⑧economy).

2. Commissioner Muchanga is the Commissioner for Trade and Industry who oversees the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), recently launched with the goal of creating a single market of 1.2 billion consumers and a GDP of $3 trillion.

o In his meeting with Vice Minister Cho Hyun during his visit to the ROK, Commissioner Muchanga will explain investment opportunities in Africa created by the AfCFTA, and discuss ways to advance trade and investment relations between the ROK and Africa.

※ The AfCFTA was launched at the 10th Extraordinary Summit of the African Union (March 21, Rwanda) after 44 out of 55 member states signed an agreement on the AfCFTA.

- The AfCFTA focuses on eliminating tariffs on intra-African trade (except some sensitive products); liberalizing trade in services; and eliminating non-tariff barriers to cross-border trade.

- Its goal is to create an African single market of 1.2 billion people (about 14% of the world’s population) and a GDP of $3 trillion.

3. The AU is a key regional organization representing Africa’s common positions on the global stage. As part of efforts to diversify its diplomacy, the ROK government will continue to work to enhance relations with the AU.

* unofficial translation