1. Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Sung-han will visit El Salvador and Nicaragua on August 27-30 to attend the 34th Session of ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean) and the 11th ROK-SICA (Central American Integration System) Meeting on Dialogue and Cooperation.

2. During the visit, Vice Minister Kim will sign with the General Secretariat of SICA the “Agreement on the accession of the Republic of Korea to SICA as a non-regional observer.” The accession is expected to contribute to increasing cooperation between the ROK and SICA member states in politics, economy and trade as well as to expanding the presence and investment of ROK companies in the region.

3. In the ROK-SICA Meeting, Vice Minister Kim and his counterparts from SICA member states will discuss a wide range of matters, including ways for the ROK and Central America to work more closely together in trade, investment, energy and resources; security issues in Central America; and cooperation measures on the international stage as well as between the two regions.

4. Vice Minister Kim will take the opportunity of the two forthcoming meetings to discuss ways to expand cooperation with ECLAC and SICA with a view to strengthening ties between the ROK and Central America, which is emerging as the region with the second-highest growth potential after Asia.

5. On the sidelines of the aforementioned meetings, Vice Minister Kim will make a bilateral visit to El Salvador and Nicaragua and hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Guatemala and Honduras. On these occasions, he will discuss ways for the ROK and the countries to work more closely and request their cooperation in protecting the ROK nationals in those countries.

                         Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFAT

* unofficial translation