Source: Government of the Republic of Korea
(Unofficial Translation)
On behalf of the people of the Republic of Korea, I sincerely welcome His Excellency President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and the Egyptian delegation to Korea.
President Al Sisi’s visit to Korea, his first in 10s years, is especially meaningful as it follows my visit to Egypt last year, which marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries.
When we met in Cairo last year, President Al Sisi and I agreed to further deepen our cooperation in pursuit of peace, prosperity and cultural enrichment.
Today, here in Seoul, we issued a Joint Statement that elevates our bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership. We also agreed to turn the agreements reached thus far into outcomes that can be tangibly felt by the people of both countries.
On the occasion of today’s summit, our two countries made meaningful progress in five major areas and signed or revised a total of 12 cooperation documents.
First, we have laid the legal and institutional foundations for expanding bilateral economic and social cooperation.
Egypt is a major economic power bridging the Middle East and Africa, as well as one of Korea’s key trading partners. A number of leading Korean businesses already operate actively in Egypt.
For its part, Egypt has shown strong interest in expanding cooperation with globally competitive Korean companies.
Following up on our agreement last year to pursue a Korea–Egypt Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, or CEPA, we officially announced the launch of related negotiations today.
I hope the agreement will be concluded at the earliest possible date, laying a solid foundation not only to expand bilateral trade and investment, but also to broaden economic cooperation across a wide range of sectors.
In addition, Korea has become the first Asian country to conclude the Agreement on Social Insurance with Egypt.
This will ease the burden on Korean and Egyptian workers required to pay pension contributions in both countries, thereby helping companies expand their presence in our two markets and spurring on business activities.
Second, we agreed to strengthen cooperation in industry, energy, science and technology.
We signed the MOU on Shipbuilding Cooperation to support the development of eco-friendly shipbuilding in Egypt, drawing on Korea’s world-class shipbuilding capabilities, and to further advance mutually beneficial cooperation between our two countries.
In addition, the MOU on Cooperation in the field of Clean Energy will help further our cooperation on the energy transition, while the MOU on Establishing an Electric Power Infrastructure Cooperation Partnership is expected to assist in ensuring a stable supply of electricity and strengthening energy security.
We also signed the MOU on Cooperation in the field of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to ramp up our collaboration in advanced technologies and the digital transformation – including in artificial intelligence, high-speed internet and cybersecurity. This will help our two countries establish a strong basis for future-oriented development.
This expanded cooperation is also closely aligned with the three visions of the K-Initiative: a “Global AI Universal Basic Society,” a “Green Transformation” and a “Coalition for Global Energy Supply Chains.”
Third, our two countries agreed to expand cooperation in defense and the defense industry.
President Al Sisi and I shared the view that the joint production of K9 self-propelled howitzers has become a successful model of defense industry cooperation between our two countries.
President Al Sisi highly valued our advanced defense industrial capacity, and I expressed my hope that defense cooperation between the two countries would go beyond the export of weapons systems and develop into a mutually beneficial partnership. I added that such cooperation could also contribute to strengthening Egyptian military capabilities and expanding its industrial base.
Fourth, we reached a consensus on deepening cooperation in culture, people-to-people exchanges and education.
We agreed to further promote exchanges between our peoples by leveraging our two countries’ rich cultural heritage and assets. To that end, we designated 2027 as the “Year of Cultural Exchange between Korea and Egypt”.
In addition, the Grand Egyptian Museum signed separate MOUs on cooperation with the National Museum of Korea and the National Agricultural Museum of Korea.
President Al Sisi noted that this cooperation has created an opportunity to widely promote Egypt’s ancient history and civilization in Korea. I, too, expressed my hope that it will also serve as a chance for Egyptians to gain a greater appreciation of Korea’s cultural appeal.
Moreover, President Al Sisi lauded the important role education has played in driving the Republic of Korea’s growth. Reflecting the changing educational landscape and the growing demand for cooperation, our two countries revised our MOU on Cooperation in the field of Higher Education for the first time in 10 years.
Finally, our two countries agreed to continue working together for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East as well as in the rest of the world.
I highly appreciated Egypt’s efforts to promote peace in the Middle East including in the Gaza Strip, and our two countries agreed to continue working toward swiftly restoring peace and stability in the Middle East.
Our two countries reaffirmed the importance of maintaining unhindered international maritime logistics as well as ensuring free and safe navigation for all vessels.
I also communicated our government’s vision for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula.
I explained to President Al Sisi our government’s unwavering philosophy that, rather than prevailing through force, establishing a peace that renders conflict unnecessary will create the surest and most solid foundation for security.
President Al Sisi highly praised our government’s efforts to foster conditions for dialogue and cooperation, expressing his full support.
Last year, our two countries celebrated the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Today, we are opening a new chapter in bilateral cooperation, with Korea–Egypt relations being elevated to a Strategic Partnership on the occasion of President Al Sisi’s first visit to Korea in 10 years and our mutual reciprocal visits within one year.
I hope that our two countries’ new journey together will allow us to shine even more brightly, true to the spirit of the S.H.I.N.E. Initiative, Korea’s policy vision for the broader Middle East that I announced at Cairo University last year.
Once again, on behalf of the people of the Republic of Korea, I extend a warm welcome to President Al Sisi and the Egyptian delegation. We are very pleased to have reached positive agreements together.
Thank you. Shukran.