1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held the "15th Korea-South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Partnership Seminar" at the Westin Josun Seoul Hotel on July 3 (Wednesday). The Korea-SAARC Partnership Seminar is a track-1.5 forum to which government officials, academics and private experts from SAARC member countries are invited to discuss ways for future cooperation in various fields. This seminar has been held annually since 2010.

※ The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established in 1985 to promote economic, social and cultural exchanges and cooperation among South Asian countries. Its member countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Korea joined it as an observer in 2006.

2. This year's seminar was held under the theme of "Exploring Cooperation for Climate Change through Renewable Energy between Korea and SAARC," during which officials from SAARC member countries and their embassies in Korea as well as experts from relevant organizations in Korea discussed ways for cooperation in the field.

3. Director-General for Asian and Pacific Affairs Kim Sang-hoon highlighted in his opening remarks that the Korean government proposed the "Carbon-Free Energy Initiative*" at the United Nations General Assembly last September to accelerate climate change response and energy transition as well as the "Green Ladder" at the G20 Summit last September to support countries vulnerable to climate change. He expressed hopes that this seminar would serve as a platform for seeking practical solutions to the climate crisis.

* The Carbon-Free Energy Initiative is a system aimed at comprehensively utilizing clean energy sources, including renewable energy, nuclear power and hydrogen, in a way that meets each country's situation and conditions.

4. SAARC Secretary-General Golam Sarwar, in his keynote speech, shared SAARC’s efforts to address the climate crisis and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in its member countries. He emphasized that the transition from traditional energy sources like coal to renewable energy calls for solidarity among  governments, private sectors and the international community. He urged participants at this seminar to engage in productive discussions for a better future.

5. Participants at the seminar shared the progress in renewable energy adoption in their respective countries and exchanged constructive opinions on ways for cooperation between Korea and South Asian countries in energy transition.

6. This event is seen to have served as a significant opportunity to reaffirm the consensus between Korea and SAARC on the necessity of responding to climate change through the use of renewable energy, as well as their willingness to cooperate in this regard.