1. Mr. Hong Jin-wook, Director-General for African and Middle Eastern Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with Mr. Abdelkader El Ansari, Ambassador Director for Asian Affairs and Oceania of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates of the Kingdom of Morocco, held the 4th Republic of Korea (ROK)-Morocco political consultation in Rabat on November 14. During the consultation, the two sides discussed ways to increase high-level exchanges, vitalize bilateral consultative mechanisms, and boost economic and development cooperation as well as tourism and cultural exchanges, and the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East and North Africa.

2. Director-General Hong took note of the development of the relations in various areas, including political affairs, economy and culture, between the ROK and Morocco, where the ROK’s first diplomatic mission on the African continent had been established in September 1962. In particular, he suggested that, as the visit to the ROK by Morocco’s Head of Government El Otmani in May 2018 and the visit to Morocco by Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon in December 2018 had paved the way for big progress in the bilateral relations, the two countries seek further development of the bilateral ties by faithfully following up on the prime ministerial meeting.

° Ambassador Director El Ansari spoke highly of the continued advances in the relations between the two countries despite their geographical distance and expressed commitment to further bolstering cooperation with the ROK, a role model for his country’s economic development.

3. Director-General Hong took note of the increase in the mutually beneficial presence of companies of the two countries in each other’s countries, as could be seen from HANDS Corporation’s recent decision to invest 470 million USD, and asked the Moroccan government to boost investment incentives in a bid to help Korean enterprises successfully build presence in the Moroccan automobile industry, a key area in the country’s 2014-2020 Industrial Acceleration Plan. He also asked for the Moroccan government’s attention to Korean enterprises’ bids to join the Gas to Power project, NOOR II, and the construction project for a coal-fired power plant in Nador, among others.

° Ambassador Director El Ansari voiced hope to share experiences with the ROK, which has undergone a fast economic growth, asked for a larger presence of Korean companies in Morocco, and expressed hope for increased participation of Korean companies in various infrastructure projects ambitiously pursued by Morocco.

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4. Director-General Hong mentioned that it is encouraging that the Automobile Professions Training Institute of Casablanca, an exemplary case of development cooperation between the two countries, has developed into a foothold for triangular cooperation among the ROK, Morocco and other African countries.

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° The two sides shared the view that, given Morocco’s foreign policy priority on Africa, triangular cooperation among the ROK, Morocco and other African countries could help double the effect of development cooperation between the ROK and Morocco. 

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5. Director-General Hong mentioned that the recent K-drama, “Vagabond,” which had partly been filmed in Morocco, has raised Koreans’ interest in the country. Explaining that people-to-people and cultural exchanges are growing between the two countries, he asked for the Moroccan government’s keen attention to and support on the safety of the Korean travelers in the country.

° The two sides shared the understanding that by stepping up cultural cooperation, the two countries could expand their friendly relations. On that note, they agreed to make efforts to hold the 7th meeting of the Joint Cultural Committee.

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6. The two sides exchanged views on the situations on the Korean Peninsula as well as in the Middle East and North Africa. The Moroccan side expressed support for the ROK government’s efforts toward complete denuclearization and the establishment of permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.

° The two sides also shared their respective policies toward Africa and agreed to work closely together not only on bilateral matters but also in implementing diplomacy toward Africa.

7. The 4th political consultation, which came about three years after the last meeting held in 2016, is seen to have served as an opportunity to maintain and further strengthen the impetus for the development of the bilateral relations -- the impetus that had been built by the top-level exchanges in 2018.