The Prime Minister is leaving this Monday for South Korea, where he will make a two-day visit to strengthen political, scientific and business cooperation with the country, which is the tenth largest economy in the world.
António Costa arrives in Seoul on Tuesday mid-morning, accompanied by Economy Ministers António Costa Silva, Science and Higher Education Ministers Elvira Fortunato and Infrastructures Joao Galamba, and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Francis. Andre.
“This visit is designed to strengthen and deepen political, diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries. It has been 23 years since the last visit of Portuguese Prime Minister António Guterres to the Republic of Korea,” the Secretary of State said. Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Francisco Andre in an interview with Lusa.
Francisco André later notes that the visit will take place “a few weeks before the next institutional summit between the European Union and Korea in May, a summit that will also serve to bring the Republic of Korea closer to the European Union.”
The institutional part of António Costa’s program in Seoul will take place on Wednesday, with a focus on a meeting with South Korean Prime Minister Han Dak-soo, followed by a legal signing ceremony.
“Through this visit, we will promote and encourage the teaching of the Portuguese language in Korea by signing a protocol to create a new lecturer at Hankuk University. We will also sign a Memorandum of Understanding between Camões Institute and Koica, a Korean cooperation agency, to promote joint triangular cooperation projects. We want to encourage more and more sustainable development projects in developing countries, namely on the African continent,” emphasizes Francisco Andre.
Also, according to a member of the Portuguese government, the visit of the Prime Minister will also serve to deepen bilateral relations in the field of science, research and development.
“The goal is to design even more of what already exists. Today we have twelve higher education institutions in Portugal that are already working with Korean institutions. And we already have about fifteen projects from the Horizonte Europe program and the Eureka program, where there are joint teams from Portugal and Korea,” he notes.
From a political point of view, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation notes that “the Republic of Korea adheres to the position of Portugal and Europe in condemning Russia for its illegal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.”
“There is great agreement in these priorities. With regard to North Korea, Portugal has always supported the “executive power in Seoul” within the framework of the United Nations, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation emphasizes.
On Wednesday, at a highly symbolic moment on the program, after a dinner given to him by the Prime Minister of South Korea, António Costa will travel to the Seoul National Cemetery to lay a wreath at the Korean War Memorial.