Source: Government of the Republic of Korea
Your Excellency Prime Minister Tusk and distinguished members of the Polish delegation,
On behalf of the people of the Republic of Korea, I sincerely welcome you once again to Korea.
This marks the first bilateral visit by a Polish Prime Minister in twenty-seven years, and Korea is the initial destination of your first trip to Asia since taking office. Your visit is all the more meaningful in that it clearly demonstrates a firm commitment to advancing relations with Korea.
Over approximately thirty-seven years since establishing diplomatic relations, back in 1989, the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Poland have built a robust partnership of friendship and cooperation in a wide range of areas, including politics, the economy, culture and people-to-people exchanges.
Poland has become one of Korea’s top five trading partners among EU member states. Korea is the largest non-European investor in Poland.
Having concluded a framework agreement worth approximately US$ 44.2 billion in 2022, our two countries are also significantly advancing our future-oriented defense industry cooperation.
Building on the strong trust our two countries developed over time, today Prime Minister Tusk and I agreed to elevate our bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The joint statement adopted today reflects the firm and clear commitment of both countries to strengthening cooperation across a wide range of fields—including politics, the economy, culture and people-to-people exchanges—and to widening the scope of our cooperation into comprehensive and future-oriented sectors such as advanced industries, science and technology, space, energy, and infrastructure.
Allow me now to elaborate on the outcomes of today’s summit.
First, our two countries’ mutually beneficial cooperation in the defense industry will be further expanded.
I underscored the need for steady implementation of the framework agreement already concluded between our two countries, which is essential for deepening and advancing our defense industry cooperation.
Prime Minister Tusk also expressed strong agreement on the importance of defense industry cooperation and highly commended Korean companies for their contributions to local production, technology transfers and workforce training.
Second, we agreed to further broaden the scope of our bilateral cooperation to cover a wider range of areas, including energy supply chains, infrastructure and science and technology.
Korean companies that have invested in electric vehicle battery production in Poland are now diversifying their portfolio by entering the energy storage system market in earnest.
I asked Prime Minister Tusk to ensure that the Polish government takes an interest in and actively supports Korean companies operating in Poland.
In addition, I requested special consideration from the Prime Minister regarding the participation of Korean companies in two major infrastructure projects in Poland – the Central Transport Hub project, which centers on the new airport, and the Warsaw tram replacement project.
Moreover, we agreed to further promote joint research and personnel exchanges among relevant institutions, with a view to expanding bilateral cooperation into advanced science and technology fields such as hydrogen, nanotechnology and materials, as well as space. To this end, our two governments affirmed their commitment to providing the support needed.
Third, in the face of increasing uncertainty in the global economic and security environment, as comprehensive strategic partners, our two countries agreed to strengthen our two countries’ strategic communication.
Above all, Prime Minister Tusk and I shared an understanding that security on the Korean Peninsula and in Europe is closely interlinked.
Our two countries agreed to work together in pursuit of global peace while continuing to seek peace and prosperity in our respective regions.
Moreover, our two countries concurred on the importance of stabilizing global supply chains in response to the crisis triggered by the war in the Middle East. We agreed to continue necessary cooperation to this end.
Fourth, we agreed to further promote people-to-people exchanges between our two countries to deepen mutual trust and friendship.
To this end, we discussed ways to coordinate the launch of additional direct flights between our two countries. We also agreed to continue consultations to expand cultural exchanges across a wide range of fields, including language, music and literature.
As the Polish saying goes, “Swój ciągnie do swojego,” meaning birds of a feather flock together. Korea has a similar expression – yuyusangjong.
Thanks to the historical bonds and cultural affinity our two countries share, we have been able to strengthen our strategic partnership in a remarkably short period of time.
Based on strong mutual trust between our two countries, today’s summit will serve as an important milestone in taking bilateral relations to the next level through sharing common vision and seeking concrete cooperation measures.
Once again, I would like to welcome Prime Minister Tusk to Korea. I look forward to meeting you again in the near future to continue today’s constructive discussions.
Thank you – dziȩkujȩ!