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Korea and Brazil Strive to Boost Cooperative Relations

The Korea Foundation, in conjunction with the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations, hosted the fourth Korea-Brazil Forum at Gyeongju Hilton Hotel, on March 4-5, 2009. The forum participants included 19 representatives from the Korean side, led by Korea Foundation President Yim Sung-joon, former environment minister Kim Myung-ja, National Strategy Institute President Young Soo-gil, and Korea Railroad Research Institute President Choi Sung-kyou, along with a 13-member delegation from Brazil, which included Brazilian Ambassador to Korea Celina Maria Assumpção do Valle Pereira nd figures from Brazil’s political, business, and academic sectors.



The Korea-Brazil Forum has been alternately hosted by the two countries since its first gathering in Brasilia, in 2005. At the request of Brazil, it was agreed that the fourth forum session, originally slated for last year, would instead be held in 2009, in Gyeongju. At the initial Korea-Brazil Forum, the representatives from Korea and Brazil agreed to forward specific policy recommendations, based on the forum proceedings, to the incumbent administrations of their respective countries, after a period of five years. With this being the fifth year of the event, the participants from both sides engaged in earnest discussion, in an effort to make a meaningful contribution to the promotion of Korea- Brazil cooperative relations.

In-depth Discussion
In fact, the bilateral relations between Korea and Brazil, which mark its 50th anniversary in 2009, have received a considerable boost from the efforts of the Korea-Brazil Forum. On the occasion of President Roh Moo-hyun’s visit to Brazil in 2005, and President Lula’s visit to Korea in 2006, the relations between the two countries have evolved into a “comprehensive cooperative relationship for common prosperity in the 21st century.” During his visit to Brazil in November 2008, President Lee Myung-bak proposed cooperation to integrate the core industries of the two countries, thereby marking a turning point in the industrial cooperation between Korea and Brazil. In their summit meeting last year, the leaders of Korea and Brazil endorsed the role and importance of the Korea-Brazil Forum for the systematic advancement of two-way cooperation through closer bilateral relations.
Accordingly, the forum session in Gyeongju focused on in-depth discussion of relevant matters in order to come up with specific recommendations to bolster cooperative efforts in such areas as politics and security, in addition to the promotion of exchange in industry, trade, science, technology, education, and culture, based on a long-term vision for the shared success of Korea and Brazil.
First, in regard to political and security concerns, the participants exchanged thoughts on ways to overcome the current global economic crisis, within the G20 framework, to assure regional security through peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear situation, and to contribute to global initiatives related to climate change and energy conservation. It was also agreed that more efforts are needed to enhance diverse dialogue channels, including the Korea-Brazil Forum, and to networks between related individuals and organizations.
Second, as for economic and trade relations, the participants emphasized the importance of the common experiences and beliefs of the two countries, in regard to their promotion of capitalistic and democratic principles. In particular, they agreed on the need to conduct joint research and launch discussion on a possible free trade agreement between Korea and MERCOSUR, in order to take advantage of the complementarity related to such areas as the bio-energy sector, development of crude oi l projects, and const ruct ion of infrastructure. There was strong consensus on the vast potential of bilateral cooperation in the railroad, transportation, and shipbuilding industries.
Third, in terms cooperative efforts related to science and technology, the participants identified the bio-energy industry as a highly promising area, in line with global initiatives to promote environmental conservation, and also expressed enthusiasm about the potential for strategic cooperat ion between Korean and Brazi l ian automobile industries. Moreover, the Brazilian side described recent efforts to improve the cost effectiveness of bio-fuel as well as the need to an international organization to systematize global collaboration in this field. The Korean side attracted the attention of the Brazilian participants with their introduction of the so-called “U-City” development concept, under which state-of-theart IT technology is fully integrated with urban development projects.
Finally, the participants concurred on an urgent need to dramatically broaden the scope of social and cultural exchange, in order to deepen and expand the future relations between Korea and Brazil. Especially, in this context, a Korean speaker emphasized the benefits of jointly establishing an academic exchange fund and a research center, as well as an extensive network of researchers and universities, so that bilateral cooperation can be implemented in a tangible and coordinated manner.

Policy Recommendations
To wind up matters, the participants adopted the Fourth Korea Foundation Forum Joint Communiqué that served to the discussions and proceedings of this year’s forum. In addition, they agreed to prepare a comprehensive policy report, to summarize the recommendations of the four Korea-Brazil Forum sessions, which is slated for completion by June 2009. The final report will then be presented by the forum organizers to the administrations of their respective countries. The Korea Foundation organizes about 15 annual forums with Korea’s partner countries and regions, including the Korea-Brazil Forum. The forums provide an opportunity to exchange various opinions and discuss matters of mutual concern, at the bilateral, regional, and global levels. Moreover, the forum gatherings seek to reinforce cooperative relations, along with facilitating the development of personal networks among these global figures. As for the Korea-Brazil Forum, it is especially noteworthy for its emphasis on more practical and tangible results. Based on the success of the first five years, the Korea-Brazil Forum will now seek to build on this positive momentum and further enhance bilateral cooperation.

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