By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
Korea will invite up to 5,000 African trainees and dispatch more than 1,000 Korean volunteers to Africa by 2012.
The announcement was made in Seoul at the conclusion of the second Korea-Africa Forum, Tuesday.
At the forum, Korea and African nations agreed to expand their partnership and cooperation in "green" growth.
African countries supported Korea's "low carbon, green growth" policy, stressing the need to achieve sustainable prosperity.
The forum was co-organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the African Union. The first forum took place in November 2006.
Korea also agreed to support Africa in eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable development, as well as in promoting the prosperity of countries there. Korea will double its Official Development Assistance to Africa by 2012.
The accord, which was announced Tuesday, was adopted as an annex of the "Seoul Declaration," following a meeting of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Yu Myung-hwan and his counterparts from the participating countries.
African nations said they supported Korea's hosting of the G20 summit in Seoul next year, expressing hope that the meeting will contribute to poverty reduction and development cooperation.
Additionally, Korea and the African nations agreed to expand cooperative projects with international organizations such as the World Food Program, the U.N. Development Program and the U.N. Children's Fund.
They said they supported international efforts to counter terrorism, piracy, organized crime, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, trafficking, illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, and infringements of human rights.
"We express concern over the spread of violent extremism taking root in volatile regions. We commit to contribute to the efforts of the international community to tackle these problems," the declaration said.
Expressing concern about the slow progress in the realization of the Millennium Development Goals, Africa welcomed Korea's decision to increase assistance to the countries to help them with education, public health, medical services and agriculture.
Minister Yu said Korea was making efforts to contribute to international society based on the economic growth and democracy it has achieved over the past 50 years. "We will expand assistance for Africa both in quantity and quality."
ksy@koreatimes.co.kr
