Address by President Roh Moo-hyun at the Shoura Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
I am grateful for your hospitality, and I bring you warm greetings of friendship from the Korean people.
It is my great honor to stand here today before the Shoura Council. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the birth place Islam, and it is a leading nation for 1.3 billion Muslims. I am very pleased to meet the members of the Shoura Council, which represents the people of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia has overcome an inhospitable natural environment and developed the Middle Eastern Islamic culture into an integral pillar of world civilization. Located where Asia meets Europe, the country gave birth to Islam, which evolved into a civilization fusing Eastern and Western culture and contributed to the advancement of humanity by spreading science, medicine and mathematics to the European people.
I pay tribute to the outstanding achievements made by the founding father King Abdul Aziz and his successors and to the prominent leadership of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. Notably, I highly value the efforts exerted by King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz to bring about political stability, economic development, improvements in public welfare and peace in the Middle East region on the foundation of national integration.
I am firmly convinced that Saudi Arabia will continue to achieve even greater prosperity as a hub country in the Middle East.
Distinguished members of the Council,
Despite the fact that Korea and Saudi Arabia are situated on the polar ends of the vast Asian continent, the tradition of trade and exchanges through the Silk Road between the two countries dates back many centuries.
Some 1,300 years ago the great Korean Buddhist monk Hyecho from the Silla Kingdom toured the Middle East and noted that there was no discrimination between the King and the people even at the dining table. Various traces of such long-standing trade and exchanges still remain in Korean culture, including in porcelain and the cuisine. It was Arab merchants who spread the name “Korea” among Western people.
Korea and Saudi Arabia have evolved into close friends in various areas such as politics and business since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1962. Korea is the third largest export market for Saudi Arabia, which is also the largest supplier of crude oil and the biggest construction market for Korea. The two countries have now become essential partners to each other.
The decisive turning point for expanding substantive cooperation between the two countries was the construction collaboration in the 1970s. When King Faisal bin Abdullah ruled Saudi Arabia, Korean workers labored day in and day out at such construction sites as the Jeddah-Makkah Expressway and Jubail Commercial Port. Their painstaking efforts and contribution laid the foundation for friendship between the two countries. It is needless to say that their endeavors have served as an enormous driving force for Korea’s economic growth.
There are a dozen mosques and tens of thousands of Muslims in Korea today. The Islamic community is now one of the respected members of Korea’s pluralistic society. Recently, public interest in the Islamic Middle Eastern culture has been growing in Korea.
Saudi Arabia’s role is important to the growth of the Islamic community in Korea. Korea’s Islamic leaders are enrolled in the University of Medina and King Saud University, and beginning this year, Saudi Arabian students on Saudi Government scholarships will attend academic institutions in Korea. There is no doubt that they will become exemplary go-betweens bridging the two countries.
Members of the Shoura Council,
Yesterday, King Abdullah and I had in depth discussions on how the two countries can expand substantive collaboration and ensure that peace can take hold in Northeast Asia and the Middle East.
We also agreed that conflicts and confrontation are not a predetermined course of fate in these regions but a challenge that needs to be overcome. We recognized that no matter how long it takes, peace has to be achieved through diplomatic efforts and shared our faith in this.
As of this moment, Northeast Asia and the Middle East are witnessing tireless efforts to bring peace to the regions. To start with, delegates at the Six-Party Talks finally found an opening onto the path toward resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, the biggest obstacle to peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia. Among the significant outcomes of the February 13th accord the agreement that the six nations reached on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the normalization of US-DPRK and Japan-DPRK relations, cooperation in economic and energy assistance, and the establishment of a Northeast Asia peace and security mechanism. More than a step toward the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue, the accord heralds lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and an order of cooperation and integration in Northeast Asia.
Korea has played a leading role throughout the process, consistently holding on to the principle that the North Korean nuclear issue should be resolved through dialogue. Every time the Six-Party Talks were locked in a stalemate, Korea offered positive alternatives, leading the way to the February 13 agreement. Korea will do its utmost to ensure that this accord is honored so that it will contribute to peace in Northeast Asia and eventually throughout the world.
I am grateful that Saudi Arabia and the international community have shown unwavering support that constitutes a great contribution to the multilateral process.
As a leading nation in the Islamic and Arab world, Saudi Arabia has made extensive efforts to bring peace to the region. Having brokered the Taif Agreement to end the Lebanese crisis in 1989, Saudi Arabia’s role has been significant in the process of finding a resolution to the Palestinian issue. Saudi Arabia’s success in leading peace efforts will continue this week as the League of Arab Nations meets for summit talks in Riyadh.
Recent developments in Iraq and the Iranian nuclear issue have raised considerable concern in the international community. Korea hopes that the issues facing the Middle East are peacefully settled through dialogue and negotiations and, on a particular note, is counting on the wisdom and experience of Saudi Arabian leaders that will prove helpful along the way.
Distinguished members,
Paying keen attention to the tall stature of the Middle East in international politics and economy, I would like to clarify my Korea-Middle East Cooperative Initiative for the 21st Century aimed at constructing comprehensive, friendly and cooperative relations between the two sides.
In the 21st century, as it has in the past, the Middle East, with its great purchasing power and ability to supply enormous amount of energy, will continue to serve as the main growth engine of world economy. For Korea, the Middle East is an essential cooperative partner as evidenced by these figures: this region supplies as much as 82 percent of the crude oil Korea needs. It gives Korea 63 percent of overseas construction and plant orders. It also occupies 12 percent of Korea’s massive international trade.
First and foremost, Korea intends to actively cooperate with the international community in its endeavor to put an end to various disputes and conflicts and pave the way for peace and common prosperity in this region. My country will strive to expand economic cooperation with Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries and deepen mutual understanding of each other’s culture.
To this end, I would like to carry out the following measures.
First, in an effort to expand the frame of economic collaboration, Korea proposes to start negotiations for a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council. As I firmly believe that the Korea-GCC FTA, when signed, will bring great benefits to both sides, I want to see the talks start within this year.
Second, the Korean Government highly evaluates the efforts of the Middle East Governments to diversify their non-oil industries. In connection with this, Korea is willing to contribute to the effort to develop human resources in this region. The Korean people have extensive experience accumulated in the course of economic development, and we are ready to share it with you if it can be of any help in the development of the Middle East.
Third, I expect that Korea and Saudi Arabia will actively pursue cultural exchanges. Korea wants to initiate cultural exchange programs that will be jointly participated in by the Governments, businesses, the media and academia as well as religious communities. I hope that through these activities, our two peoples will be able to appreciate the culture of each other in a new light, greatly enhancing mutual understanding.
Fourth, Korea intends to expand and solidify the Korea-Middle East Cooperation Forum that has been held annually. By bringing on board high-level government and business leaders, the Forum should be further developed into a viable medium that charts substantive interaction between our peoples.
In order to realize these four initiatives successfully for a bright future of our two nations, I ask Saudi Arabia to render full support and cooperation.
Distinguished members,
In the interest of further promoting amicable, cooperative relations between our two nations, your role as representatives of the people is crucial. Through the Korea-Saudi Arabia Parliamentarians’ Friendship Association and other channels, I hope the legislatures of the two countries will expand bilateral interchanges.
As our ancestors were friends to each other many centuries ago, I am pleased to meet you here today as a friend as well. Historically, both of our two peoples have overcome numerous challenges with wisdom and courage and I trust that Korea and Saudi Arabia will forge ahead side by side for a bright future and common prosperity in the 21st century.
Shukran Jazeelan (Thank you very much.)
웹사이트: http://www.president.go.kr
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2008년 8월 6일 17:22
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