SEOUL, KOREA — The 2nd ROK-Estonia Policy Consultation was held in the Estonian capital of Tallinn on February 13 with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT)’s Deputy Minister Kim Jae-shin and Under-Secretary for Political Affairs of the Estonian Foreign Ministry Sulev Kannike as the heads of the respective delegations.
Deputy Minister Kim noted with appreciation the promotion of friendly and cooperative relations between the ROK and Estonia through active high-level exchanges and cultural commemorative events held last year on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations. He also expressed willingness to continue the path toward stronger economic and trade cooperation with Estonia, whose economy has been growing at a high rate of 8 percent despite the ongoing economic crisis in Europe.
Deputy Minister Kim proposed that the ROK and Estonia, an information technology powerhouse and the first country to hold an e-election, work closely together in the fields of information, communications, science and technology. Meanwhile, Under-Secretary Kannike extended appreciation for the Korea Foundation’s decision to support the Korean Studies Program at Tallinn University, and conveyed expectation for the Program to lead to an increase in academic and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
The two sides exchanged in-depth views on the situation in various regions, including the Korean Peninsula, Northeast Asia, the Balkans, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and agreed to work closely with the UN and other international organizations.
The 2nd ROK-Estonia Policy Consultation was an excellent opportunity to review overall progress in bilateral relations and to explore new areas for substantive cooperation, including culture, tourism, information technology, science, technology in general, and cyber security.
