Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met with Wamkele Keabetswe Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, who visited South Korea to attend the Jeju Forum (May 28-29), and exchanged views on expanding economic cooperation between South Korea and Africa and strengthening the Secretariat's capabilities.

Cho Tae-yul welcomed Mene's visit and expressed his appreciation for South Korea's efforts to support the implementation of the AfCFTA since its inception in 2021, noting that it is meaningful to further activate economic cooperation with the African continent through the newly established Korea-AfCFTA Cooperation Fund this year.

Secretary-General Mene commended South Korea for successfully hosting the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit and expressed his special gratitude for South Korea's multifaceted support for the AfCFTA Secretariat's activities. He expressed hope that the Korea-AfCFTA Cooperation Fund would activate mutually beneficial practical cooperation projects between Korea and Africa and expand the entry of outstanding Korean companies into Africa.

Meanwhile, Minister Cho and Secretary-General Mene signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Korea-AfCFTA Cooperation Fund prior to their meeting.

Both sides agreed to establish institutional foundations for effective and efficient fund management, including joint consultations on the identification, implementation, and evaluation of fund projects. This is expected to facilitate the entry of Korean companies into the African market and expand cooperation between companies and relevant institutions from both sides.

[News Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs]