Joint press conference of President Roh and President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan
PRESIDENT ROH: Before talking in detail about specific areas of collaboration, I would like to talk about a unique environment, or special circumstances, which will make it possible for Korea and Azerbaijan to work together in a better fashion. Korea is known to be one of the leading countries in the world in many areas, but there are still some areas where there are things still to be accomplished before we can reach the highest standards. It is also true that even some of the advanced areas are still not well known in the world. Korea’s expertise is not merely superb in terms of technology, but it reflects the totality of recent experiences obtained during the development process. Thus, the country is now equipped with the knowledge of how to move forward based on a number of trials and errors as well as failures.
The experiences and technologies acquired during Korea’s economic growth are largely 30 to 40 years old, and the entire experience is still fresh in the corporate and Government memory. On the contrary, development experiences in the advanced countries with similar levels of technologies date back over 100 to 150 years, and they were gradually accumulated over that period with their old experiences having been forgotten. I would like to emphasize that Korea’s technologies are not a simple compilation of knowledge, but are backed by passion and enthusiasm.
I believe that Korea will become a good partner for any country that hopes to garner accelerated success by promoting public enthusiasm under strong government leadership. Korea has world-class technologies in exploiting energy resources such as oil and natural gas, even though that fact has not yet been properly translated into a global reputation. In addition, the country is fervently seeking energy development because it desperately needs energy resources. Korea’s experiences and technologies are well illustrated in such areas as the construction of roads, railways, ports, power plants and shipyards. It also has every intention of making investments. Even with its rich experiences in building cities and housing, the country is now strenuously grappling with housing problems, which have yet to be resolved completely.
Whether they are in construction or project sites, the Korean people are very likely to infect their co-workers with confidence and an eager spirit. The word “infect” seems appropriate, right? Koreans have a positive influence that encourages others to identify with their ideas and to have a drive for development. Korea and Azerbaijan signed cooperative agreements on an intelligent transportation system (ITS) and e-government. Information and communication technology is one area in which Korea can proudly collaborate with Azerbaijan.
PRESIDENT ALIYEV: President Roh has just discussed areas where Korea boasts cutting-edge technology. Azerbaijan is currently working toward the construction and modernization of its infrastructure. From a financial perspective, Azerbaijan is a country capable of investing a great deal of capital in infrastructure construction. I think that Korean businesses make good partners thanks to their cutting-edge technology, expertise and fine reputation. Korean businesses are welcome both as investors and contractors. A great deal of investment is being made in the construction of infrastructure, including highways and power plants, and billions of dollars worth of investments will be made in the days ahead. This expands the breadth of economic cooperation between our two countries. It ranges from collaboration in energy, traffic and IT to joint efforts among small and medium-size companies of the two countries. What’s more important is that there is great interest among the businesses of the two countries, and the Korea-Azerbaijan business forum, which is scheduled for tomorrow, will be a great venue that reflects such interest. In less than one year, the two countries discovered many fields in which they will be able to work together and are now sharing specific areas for collaboration. I am looking forward to the speedy implementation of the MOUs signed today.
QUESTION (from a Korean reporter): The Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC) is seeking a 20 percent stake in Azerbaijan’s Inam oil field. What is the likelihood of the deal coming through? I understand that, aside from the Inam oil field, Korea is also interested in developing oil fields located in other parts of Azerbaijan. How would you assess Korean companies as development partner for crude oil and gas field development?
PRESIDENT ALIYEV: I am very pleased with Korea’s interest in energy development. I just regret that cooperation with Korea on energy development did not come sooner. In cooperation with international enterprises, Azerbaijan has been developing oil and gas since 1994. Among them are world-class corporations. My country offers a good business environment and actively protects international investments in the country. That is why there are as many as 20 major projects contracted with international businesses. Next year, the daily export volume for crude oil is expected to reach 1 million barrels. When we say Korean participation is rather late, we mean most of the major contracts have already been concluded. Korean participation in the Inam oil field started late, too, and the KNOC and Azerbaijan’s SOCAR are now negotiating their shares. Their contracts will have to be reciprocal commercially. When the two sides agree on certain conditions, the Korean partner will be welcomed. There are other opportunities for exploration along the Caspian Coast of Azerbaijan. My country’s oil reserve is estimated at a vast 9 billion barrels. The oil reaches international markets through extended networks of pipelines. The country will remain attractive to many energy related companies for the next few decades.
PRESIDENT ROH: I have one more thing to add. Currently, the Korean Government is collaborating with and supporting many nations for economic development. After I came back from the visit to Azerbaijan last May, the Korean Government created within itself a special Korea-Azerbaijan economic collaboration team with a special emphasis on sharing Korea’s economic development experiences. Korea has been planning similar joint projects with other countries. It is refreshing to report that the Korea-Azerbaijan team has been progressing more quickly than other binational teams because of the enthusiastic response from the Azerbaijan Government. This is a very significant factor. It is my belief that the passion and the speed with which civil servants work in developing countries in particular have a critical bearing on the speed of the country’s progress as a whole. It may be difficult to quantify the Azerbaijan Government’s speed and enthusiasm for work, but I certainly hope that it will provide substantive information to Korean companies willing to work in Azerbaijan. The time when the assessments of the Azerbaijan-based Korean businesses coincide with those of the Korean Government’s will be when Korean investments flow into that republic on a large scale. Finally, I would like to compliment all the cabinet members traveling with President Aliyev for their dedicated efforts.
웹사이트: http://www.president.go.kr
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2008년 8월 6일 17:22
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