1. The first director-general-level policy consultation among the MIKTA member states -- Mexico, Indonesia, (the Republic of) Korea, Turkey and Australia -- took place in Addis Ababa, the host of the African Union (AU) headquarters, from June 4 till 6.

° MIKTA is a mechanism for partnership among the five aforementioned middle power countries, which are also members of the G20 that are playing pivotal roles in their regions. The policy consultation carried significance as the first of its kind among the MIKTA member states that covered a particular region as an agenda item for cooperation.

° The ROK’s head delegate to the meeting, Director-General for African and Middle Eastern Affairs Hong Jin-wook of the Foreign Ministry, shared with the other participants the ROK government’s efforts to enhance partnership with Africa; and delivered remarks at the session on Africa’s economic development, investment and trade. He also extended appreciation to the other MIKTA member states and the AU for their support for the ROK government’s work toward peace on the Korean Peninsula; and voiced hope that the advances in the inter-Korean relations and the progress toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula will have positive impact on Africa’s peace and security efforts.

※ The top delegates from the other MIKTA countries were: Director-General for Africa and the Middle East Jorge Alvarez Fuentes of the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Relations; head of the Policy Analysis and Development Agency Siswo Pramono of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Director-General for Africa Ahmet Riza Demirer of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Assistant Secretary of the Middle East and Africa Division H.K. Yu of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

2. The participants in the MIKTA consultation on Africa policy exchanged constructive views on matters of shared concern, including peace, security, climate change, development cooperation, emigration, refugees and industrialization in Africa; and agreed to have the embassies of their countries in Ethiopia lead joint efforts to continuously share relevant information and to seek out cooperation projects.

° On the sidelines of the policy consultation, the participants jointly met with Deputy Chairperson Kwesi Quartey of the AU Commission, Chief of Staff El-Ghassim Wane for the Chairperson of the AU Commission, and other major AU officials. In the meeting, the MIKTA and the AU affirmed their shared interest regarding the need to cooperate on the multilateralism-based international order; and agreed to continue consulting with each other on ways to work together to respond to global issues and achieve the Agenda 2063 for Africa’s development.

※ The Agenda 2063 is a strategic initiative calling for achieving socio-economic reform in Africa by the year 2063, the 100^th anniversary of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the AU’s predecessor.

3. At the policy consultation, the participants issued a joint press release containing the significance of the event and commitment to cooperation, calling the consultation an important opportunity to bolster MIKTA partnership in the significant region.

* unofficial translation