Peruvian Ambassador to Korea Paul Duclos speaks of the significance of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum being hosted in the South American country during an interview with The Korea Times in April, 2024. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
By Paul Duclos
In 2024, Peru is marking the 203rd anniversary of its independence and symbolically celebrating the bicentennial of its liberation, following decisive victories in the battles of Junin and Ayacucho in 1824.
Last year, we also marked 60 years of amicable relations and mutual cooperation with the Republic of Korea. Our partnership, built on shared values, complementary economic interests and a forward-looking agenda, has been underscored by Eastern philosophy, which sees this 60th anniversary, or “Hwangap,” as heralding a new and promising phase in our relationship.
In this context, we were pleased to host Peru’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Javier González-Olaechea, who recently attended the Korea-Latin America Future Cooperation Forum, invited by his Korean counterpart Cho Tae-yul. This visit further strengthened our robust bilateral relations. We particularly focused on agreements related to digital and technological transformation, climate change mitigation, and integration into Korean supply chains. Our 2011 free trade agreement has significantly boosted Korea’s position as our fourth-largest trading partner.
Furthermore, we agreed to hold new rounds of bilateral Political Consultations and Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation meetings this year. These forums are valuable for renewing and expanding collaborative opportunities.
I would also like to emphasize Korea’s support in the OECD Council, which facilitated Peru’s invitation to begin the process of joining the organization. In return, Peru fully supports Korea’s aspiration to become an associated state of the Pacific Alliance. This will facilitate a rise in exports and strategic investments, enhance supply chains, and boost preferential access and regional cooperation between the Pacific Alliance and the Asian market.
Moreover, the recent strategic partnership in the defense sector has been particularly encouraging. This includes the development of a modern shipyard and shipbuilding facility in Callao with Hyundai Heavy Industries, co-production of armored vehicles and technology transfer with Hyundai Rotem and the establishment of a parts production line for the FA-50 aircraft with Korea Aerospace Industries.
All these positive developments are taking place during Peru’s presidency of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) in 2024. We look forward to handing over this responsibility to Korea at the Leaders Summit in Lima this November, where we anticipate a visit from President Yoon Suk-yeol and a high-level delegation from Korea.
As we leverage this platform for best practices and initiatives, we have chosen to focus on three major priorities during our presidency:
a. Advancing the goal of establishing a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, informed by lessons from the pandemic and recent developments.
b. Promoting initiatives to transition to a formal global economy, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises, providing tools for international economic participation, bridging the digital and technological gaps and enhancing financial support.
c. Pursuing sustainable growth for resilient development through a clean energy transition and measures to ensure food security in the Asia-Pacific region.
This year also marks the 35th anniversary of APEC. In this spirit, we aim to engage civil society through the APEC Citizen Peru 2024 initiative, enabling experts, officials, academics, leaders and ministers to share their insights with young people and the broader community, as well as to organize cultural and mutual exchange events.
As we celebrate our journey thus far, we look forward with optimism to the future of our enduring and dynamic relationship. We are confident that both Korea’s public and private sectors will continue to seize the growing opportunities presented by our partnership and appreciate our rich history and diverse culture.
Paul Duclos is the Peruvian Ambassador to Korea.
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Publish date : 2024-08-05 11:49:00
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