1. Director-General David Satterfield of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) will visit the Republic of Korea on April 16 to meet with Director-General for African and Middle Eastern Affairs Kwon Hee-seog of the Foreign Ministry.

2. The ROK government offered some 300,000 US dollars to the MFO in February in a bid to contribute to the organization’s efforts to gather information on the Sinai Peninsula and other politically instable regions in the Middle East; to build cooperative networks with other contributing countries; and to establish peace in the Middle East. Accordingly, Director-General Satterfield will visit the ROK to extend appreciation to the country for such contributions.

3. The MFO is an independent international organization set up in 1981 to oversee the implementation of the peace treaty forged between Egypt and Israel in 1979. Its 1,600-odd troops from twelve countries are undertaking such missions as peacekeeping on the Sinai Peninsula and mediating dialogue between military organizations of Egypt and Israel.

4. The ROK’s contributions toward the MFO and Director-General Satterfield’s upcoming visit to the ROK are expected to lead to stronger cooperative ties between the two sides. They are also expected to serve as an opportunity to demonstrate the ROK’s efforts to contribute to peace in the Middle East as a responsible middle power country. 


              Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation