KF뉴스레터-Korea and France Join Hands to Address International Issues

Korea and France Join Hands to Address International Issues

The eighth Korea-France Forum (May 11-12), which was hosted in Paris by the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), the French organizer of the forum, included the participation of some 60 representatives from Korea and France.

The French delegation, led by IFRI President Thierry de Montbrial, included a number of prominent figures, such as Patrick Beaudouin, President of France-Korea Parliamentarians Friendship Association; three incumbent legislators; seniorranking officials of the French government, like Anne-Marie Idrac, Minister of Foreign Trade, and François Descoueyte, Director of Asia and Oceania, French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs; and IFRI researcher Jacques Mistral, Director of Economic Studies.
The Korean delegat ion, headed by Korea Foundation President Yim Sung-joon, consisted of four National Assembly members, led by Kim Hyoseuk, President of Korea-France Parliamentarians Friendship Association; senior economic officials, such a s Kang Man- soo, Chairman of the Presidential Council on National Competitiveness, and Hyun Oh-seok, President of the Korea Development Institute; three university professors; and representatives of Korea’s diplomatic missions and international organizations in Paris, including Korean Ambassador to France Cho Il-hwan and Ambassador Kim Choong-soo, Permanent Representative of Korea to the OECD.
The forum got underway with opening remarks from IFRI President Thierry de Montbrial and Korea Foundation President Yim Sung-joon, followed by congratulatory remarks by national legislators from each side, Patrick Beaudouin and Kim Hyo-seuk, and Ambassador Cho Il-hwan. Comprised of four discussion sessions of relevant matters, the forum gathering was wrapped up with a closing ceremony on May 12.

Response to Economic Crisis
Of note, this year’s Korea-France Forum focused on ways to build on the friendly relations between the two countries in an effort to broaden joint cooperation and address key matters related to the international community. To move in this direction, during the first session, which was moderated by IFRI President Montbrial, the participants discussed issues related to a theme of “The World Economic Crisis and its Consequences in Europe and East Asia” that generated an animated exchange of opinions.
As for the second session, it closely examined “green growth” opportunities, one of the most promising growth engines for future economic development. The French side presented plans that the OECD and its European members had formulated, which outlined how green growth projects could be utilized as a strategic initiative to help overcome the current global economic crisis. The Korean delegation then introduced highlights of the Lee Myung-bak administration’s “Green New Deal” master plan, which is currently underway, leading to active discussion of potential areas for joint cooperation.
The third session dealt with a theme of “Korea- France Bilateral Economic and Cultural Relations” that included an overview of the development of Korea-France relations, which had been solidified by France’s participation in the Korean War, and the current status of bilateral diplomatic relations. The participants expected that Korea-France economic relations will be opening a new chapter upon the conclusion of a Korea-EU FTA. They also positively assessed the status of bilateral cultural exchange that had since attained a high level of maturity, in which the two sides have come to appreciate cultural differences and now seek to promote productive cooperation, rather than simply introducing their own cultures to each other’s peoples.

Forward-Looking Approach
The final discussion session focused on pending issues related to “Regional Security in Northeast Asia.” An informational briefing was presented on the Korean government’s policy efforts to promote regional security, followed by a discussion on the Northeast Asian security situation, which has been worsened by North Korea’s refusal to resolve the matter of its nuclear program through the six-party talks, along with related issues such as the energy security of Northeast Asia and China’s stance on regional security.
During a wrap-up session, Minister Ann-Marie Idrac, who had visited Korea in 2008 as the head of a trade delegation that included about 100 relevant figures, introduced the French government’s policy measures to encourage Korea-France economic cooperation. From the Korean side, National Assembly member Park Sang-eun proposed that the forum increase the participation of businesspeople, and diversify the discussion topics in order to share ideas on such matters as UN reform, ODA expansion, and the dispatch of PKO forces.
The recent Korea-France Forum in Paris was more substantive than previous sessions, in particular regard to the discussion topics and the high-profile delegation members. It is thus hoped that the ninth Korea-France Forum, in Seoul, will be even more successful by building on this year’s fruitful results and positive momentum.

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Korea and France Join Hands to Address International Issues

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