Benguela - The ambassador of the Republic of Korea, Kwang-Jin Choi, said on Monday that businesspeople from that Asian country are interested in strengthening cooperation with Angola in the energy sector.
The Korean diplomat, who heads a business delegation from his country, was speaking to ANGOP after an audience granted to them by the provincial governor of Benguela, Luís Nunes.
Kwang-Jin Choi said that the group of businesspeople, which includes representatives from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and firms such as LG Electronics and Hanwha Ocean, is equally interested in the Lobito Corridor's capabilities.
"They want to identify new areas of cooperation in the economic field. They highlighted the energy sector, above all, but are open to other challenges", he said.
The ambassador announced the holding, on Tuesday (Oct 8), in the commune of Biópio (Catumbela), of the 5th edition of the Korea-Angola Energy Cooperation Seminar, under the motto "Strengthening cooperation in the field of renewable energy and electrification".
This seminar is the result of a partnership between the Korean Embassy, the Ministry of Energy and Water, Prodel E.P. and Sun Africa (USA).
On the other hand, the diplomat said that this year (2024) marks the 32nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Angola, and it became even more significant with the visit of President João Lourenço to the Republic of Korea, last April, and the holding of the Korea-Africa Summit in June.
"We hope that the arrival of this delegation can further boost economic cooperation between the two countries and serve as a catalyst for Korean agencies and companies to get involved in the Lobito Corridor," he said.
In 2023, bilateral trade between Korea and Angola was more than US$470 million, almost 30 times higher compared to 1992, the year in which both countries established diplomatic ties.
CRB/CF/jmc
