외교부

Remarks at the Welcoming Dinner
of the 2nd Mekong-ROK Business Forum 

by H.E. Cho Tae-yong
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea


1. 인사말씀

H.E. 부이 탕 손(Bui Thanh Son), Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam,
Ambassadors of the Mekong countries and the Republic of Korea to Vietnam,
Distinguished economic delegates from the Mekong region and Korea,
And Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted, as a representative of the Korean Government, to host this dinner for the representatives from the government and business communities of the Mekong countries, a region which is recognized as a new driving engine for growth in the Asian economy. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my gratitude and warm welcome to all of you.

I am indeed deeply impressed at the transformation and progress the Mekong region has made and economic vitality and dynamism the Mekong Region has displayed in the last decade or so. I believe that others who have witnessed this process of development may also share my sentiment.

2. 메콩지역에 대한 한국의 관심과 애정

The Mekong region is the focus of great interest amongst the Korean people. With its rich cultural legacy and natural beauty, such as Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Luang Prabang in Laos, Myanmar's Shwedagon Pagoda, Thailand's Temple of Emerald Buddha and Grand Palace, and Vietnam's Ha Long Bay, it is indeed the focus of great interest. And above all, Koreans are impressed by the warmth and friendliness of the people of the Mekong region.

I am also aware that Mekong citizens' interest in Korea is rising, due to Korea's economic development, as well as hallyu, or the Korean Wave.

I believe that this growing mutual interest and the strong ties of friendship will indeed serve as a strong basis for the further deepening of Mekong-Korea relations.

3. 메콩 지역 번영의 모습과 잠재력

The five countries of the Mekong region have continued to achieve economic growth rate of over 5%, and we envisage that by 2018 the Gross Domestic Product will have increased by 50% compared to the figure in 2013. With the region's abundant natural resources, the government's strong will for development, and growing entrepreneurship, I believe that the Mekong region does indeed have a bright future.

4. 한-메콩 비즈니스 포럼 탄생 과정

The Mekong-ROK Business Forum came into being when the public and private sectors sought to come up with ways to strengthen and organize sustainable cooperation between Korea and the Mekong region. There was a consensus at the 2nd Mekong-ROK Foreign Ministers' Meeting that business leaders should meet regularly to foster a mutually beneficial business environment so that the two regions could have better access to each others' markets. At the 1st Mekong-ROK Business Forum held in Thailand last year, investment and trade officials and business people from Korea and Mekong countries participated in the meeting, engaging in substantive discussions on the investment environment and the investment process in the Mekong region. Through one-on-one breakaway meetings between business people of Korea and Mekong countries, participants had the opportunity to establish networks and test the business potential in the two regions.

5. 한-메콩 비즈니스 포럼 발전을 위한 당부

The Korean Government is prepared to work to further deepen and expand Mekong-ROK cooperation. Furthermore, we also plan to explore concrete measures for bilateral cooperation at the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit to be held in Seoul to celebrate 25 years of ASEAN-ROK Dialogue Partnership.

The efforts by the government are of course of great importance, but I believe that all of the various stakeholders in the business sector do indeed have a crucial role to play. Indeed, I would say that they are rather like the oxygen for the fuelling of Mekong-Korea cooperation and shared prosperity.

It is my sincere hope that this event will represent an excellent opportunity for business people of Korea and Mekong countries to form deep friendships and foster strong networks. In doing so, I believe that they will be laying a valuable foundation for mutual economic cooperation.

6. 마무리 인사

I look forward to in-depth fruitful discussions at the Business Forum. And, as I said, I very much hope that you will all have a pleasant time and plenty of opportunities to build upon the friendships you have already formed. As the theme of tomorrow's forum is "Strengthening Value-Supply Chains Connectivity in the Mekong Sub-region", The menu for tonight samples dishes from each Mekong country. On top of that, traditional Korean drinks will be used for the toast.

So I would like to propose a toast to the deepening of the friendship between the Mekong region and Korea, and to continued health and happiness for all of you gathered tonight.

Thank you.

/END/