1. On August 7, Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will host a dinner for five ministerial- and vice ministerial-level officials from four Latin American countries and a regional organization, who are on a visit to the Republic of Korea to attend the “2018 Vision Sharing Program for Latin American Countries’ National Development (August 5-11),” and discuss ways to strengthen a future-oriented partnership between the ROK and Latin America.

o The dinner will be attended by Minister of Industry and Productivity of Ecuador Eva Garcia, Minister of Science, Technology and Telecommunications of Costa Rica Luiz Salazar, Vice Minister of Energy and Mines of the Dominican Republic Ernesto Vilalta, Vice Minister of Multilateral Affairs and Cooperation Maria Navaro of the Foreign Ministry of Panama, and Permanent Secretary of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) Javier Paulinich.

※ Vision Sharing Program for Latin American Countries’ National Development

- Under the program, key ministerial- and vice ministerial-level officials in charge of policies for the development of Latin America are invited to visit the ROK to strengthen cooperative relations between the ROK and Latin America. It has been carried out since 2011 to share the ROK’s economic development experience, and visions for national development.

2. At the upcoming dinner, Vice Minister Cho Hyun will exchange views on models for mutually-beneficial cooperation between the ROK and Latin America, including the ROK government’s policy to diversify its diplomacy, and efforts to increase people-to-people exchanges; strengthening cooperation in a range of areas (ICT, resources and infrastructure, science and technology, e-government, SMEs, development, etc.), and increasing Korean companies’ presence in Latin America; expanding trade and investment by strengthening a network of FTAs between the ROK and Latin America; and contributions of Koreans in Latin America to the development of local communities in the region.

3. In addition, Vice Minister Cho Hyun will explain the latest developments in the situation on the Korean Peninsula, including inter-Korean and US-North Korea summits, and efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and to establish a lasting peace on the Peninsula. He will ask for Latin American countries’ continued interest and support for the ROK government’s policy.

4. The forthcoming invitation program is expected to serve as an opportunity to share with high-level officials from emerging Latin American countries the ROK’s economic development experience, and visions for national development that benefits both sides, and to discuss ways to expand cooperation in various areas of interest, thereby strengthening a mutually-beneficial partnership with Latin America, which has great potential for growth, and helping secure greater support from the international community for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

* unofficial translation