Senior officials and heads of delegations from major African countries gathered in Korea on Wednesday to explore ways to strengthen their cooperation, Seoul's foreign ministry said.
The Korea-Africa Forum kicked off in downtown Seoul, bringing some 150 high-ranking officials and other heads of delegations from 18 African nations and international organizations, according to the ministry.
The conference, the third such forum, was launched by former President Roh Moo-hyun during a trip to Africa in 2006 and has since been held every three years.
Co-hosted by the ministry and the African Union (AU) Commission, the conference is a venue for the participants to discuss development cooperation, trade and investment, and peace and security, the ministry said.
"South Korea has been striving to share its experiences for economic growth and knowledge to contribute to Africa's development," Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan said in his speech during the opening ceremony.
"This year's agenda also includes peace and security for better responses to both regional and global security issues of mutually concerned."
The participants plan to adopt a joint declaration and action plans as an outcome of the forum, which will include Seoul's expansion of official development assistance in African nations and the establishment of a training center at the AU headquarters in Ethiopia, among other measures, according to the ministry.
Wednesday's forum came as part of the government-designated "Korea-Africa Cooperation Week" in the third week of each October, aimed to boost exchange and cooperation with African nations, and featuring events from Oct. 15 through 18.
On Monday, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy held an industry cooperation forum, and the finance ministry hosted a ministerial conference on economic cooperation the following day.
On Thursday, the African delegations will visit industrial facilities in Seoul and nearby areas, which is expected to give them the chance to share South Korea's development experiences, according to the ministry.
"The African countries have achieved an average of 4.8 percent of economic growth each year since 2000, which is evidence that it is now transforming into a land of hope and promise," Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik said in his welcoming speech.
"Now is time to bring relations between South Korea and Africa a notch higher in consideration of soaring mutual exchanges and their heightened international status. I am sure that the harmony of South Korea's development experiences and Africa's potential power will open the future of mutual prosperity." (Yonhap)