Cape Town: A senior South Korean official has underscored the country's dedication to establishing "mutually beneficial" partnerships in the critical minerals sector with African nations, expressing optimism for increased cooperation in this domain, the foreign ministry announced on Wednesday. Second Vice Foreign Minister Kang In-sun made these comments during the inaugural critical minerals dialogue with African partners held in Cape Town, South Africa on Tuesday, as stated in a ministry release.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea and 48 African countries agreed to initiate this dialogue platform during their first-ever summit hosted by Seoul in June of the previous year. The recent discussions coincided with the Mining Indaba, a prominent mining investment event in Africa, which is taking place from Monday through Thursday.
During the talks, Kang emphasized that mutual trust is fundamental in cultivating partnerships in critical minerals. He further highlighted South Korea's commitment to developing long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships with African nations in relevant sectors, as reported by the ministry.
Representatives from African countries expressed their aspirations for South Korea to increase investment in their region, citing Seoul's expertise in mining exploration and extraction technologies that could potentially drive economic growth in the area.
The meeting saw the participation of over 100 attendees, including government and industry officials from 11 countries, such as South Korea, Algeria, the Republic of Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Morocco, Senegal, Uganda, and Zambia, among others.