AUC Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and President Park Geun-hye of South Korea discuss cooperation ties on wide range of fields to enhance development between South Korea and Africa
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 27 May 2016 - South Korean President, H.E Mme. Park Geun-hye met with H.E Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) today Friday 27 May 2016 while on an official visit to the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. During the visit, both female leaders held bilateral talks on partnerships in a wide range of fields before addressing a congregation of representatives of the diplomatic corps in the continent as well as the international community who converged in the plenary hall of the AU Conference Center to witness the historical event, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn, the AU Commissioners and staff of the Commission.
Chairperson Dlamini Zuma in her welcome remarks recalled that, President Geun-hye is the first female President of the Republic of South Korea and the first leader of the country to visit the African Union. The visit, she said comes at an opportune period when the theme of the year is “The African Year of Human Rights with particular focus on the rights of women”. Dr. Dlamini Zuma emphasized the need for partnership in various areas including trade, industrialization, innovation, science and technology, skills development, gender empowerment, higher education all of which will amplify the journey to achieving the “Africa We Want” as depicted in Agenda 2063.
“Africa can learn from the South Korean Success story of defining her future in development” noted the AUC Chairperson. She further recalled that, “South Korea and all of our founding member states achieved their independence almost at the same time in the 1960’s. However the fortunes of South Korea and that of our Member States have not been the same”. She congratulated the founding mothers and fathers of South Korea and subsequent leaders for having stayed the course and for having turned their fortune within a single a generation.
According to Chairperson Dlamini Zuma, “We concur with the academic Colin Bradford’s conclusions that:
“The South Korean success story is a story about intentionality, about the capacity of a society to define its future rather than to be passively lifted by market forces alone, and about the role of leadership, institutions, a narrative in determining destiny”.
Inspired by this success story and stories from other developmental states, the AUC Chairperson said Africa has decided to take its destiny into its own hands by embarking on the implementation of the Africa Agenda 2063, adopted by the AU Heads of State and Government during the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) now the African Union (AU) established in 1963, with the view to accelerate efforts to secure an integrated prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena. “In developing our 50year plan to secure the Africa We Want we looked to South Korea and other developing nations for inspiration...we learnt from South Korea’s rise that strong states and institutions are an important driver for the type of development required to lift our people out of poverty and inequality. The developmental state model developed in South Korea and in other parts of East Asia is the basis of our aspirations, particularly those that relate to inclusive growth as well as accountable states and institutions”, emphasised the AUC Chairperson. (See complete speech of the AUC Chairperson on the AU website: www.au.int )
President Park on her part expressed appreciation for the warm welcome by the AUC Leadership into the historical “Mandela Hall” . Quoting Madiba’s words on the freedom of the African people living in unity in a peaceful and prosperous continent, she also commended the continental vision of Agenda 2063 as a blue print that will help attain the goals and aspirations of the African people for “The Africa We Want”.
To that effect, President Park underscored the need for Africa to engage in constructive partnerships with all its partners including South Korea and Africa. She further acknowledged the important role of the AU in enhancing mutually beneficial ties between the two parties in various areas of cooperation. She announced that 6000 young Africans will be awarded scholarships to study science and technology in South Korea while 4000 South Korean volunteers will be sent to Africa on an exchange development program, within the framework of the partnership. The President further announced that her country is planning to co-host the 4th Korea-Africa Forum in December 2016 in Addis Ababa with the Ethiopian government. The Korean President also announced the launch by her country of a development project called "Korea Aid" to the African continent. She said the Aid will comprise of three mobile elements, namely K-Medic, K-Culture and K-Meal with vehicles to reach out to the community, serving people in the sectors of health (especially for girls), nutrition and education. "I sincerely hope that through this Korea Aid project, we will be able to leave no one behind", she noted. Meanwhile, the partnership between South Korea and Africa will be an opportunity to share Korean economic and social development experience as well as Korean culture. (See complete speech of the South Korean President on the AU website: www.au.int )
The visit at the AU Headquarters ended with a vote of thanks by Mr. Jacques Alfred Ndoumbe-Eboule, Ambassador of Cameroon and Dean of African Ambassadors who was speaking on behalf of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) of the AU. He noted that the visit of President Geun- hye demonstrates the will of the Korean government to strengthen ties with Africa and that in the coming future partnerships shall be intensified at all levels of cooperation.
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Esther Azaa Tankou, Ag. Director of Information and Communication, African Union Commission (AUC)/ Tel: +251(0) 911361185 / E-mail: yamboue@africa-union.org

For further information:
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@african-union.org I Website: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

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