1. The 2nd Republic of Korea-Jamaica policy consultation will take place in Kingston, Jamaica, on October 27, with Director-General for Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Bahk Sahng-hoon and Under Secretary for Bilateral and Regional Affairs Joy Wheeler at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica leading their respective delegations.

o Jamaica is the ROK’s ally, which became the first Caribbean country to establish diplomatic relations with the ROK in 1962. Jamaica is a leading country in the Caribbean region, which has developed close, friendly and cooperative relations with the ROK on the global stage, including the UN, since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

2. In the upcoming policy consultation, the two sides will exchange views on a range of issues of mutual concern, including economy, trade, high-level exchanges, cooperation on the global stage, development, and regional situations, as well as ways to enhance substantive cooperation.

o For Jamaica’s economic development, the ROK government has assisted Jamaica in developing its economic development strategies and strengthening the capacity of its provincial administration through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)’s grant aid projects and training programs where relevant personnel are invited to the ROK.

3. In particular, the ROK side will request the Jamaican government’s attention and cooperation to ensure that more Korean companies with world-class technologies and construction experiences can participate in energy (electricity), airport modernization, and logistics hub projects, etc., being pursued by the Jamaican government.

4. The forthcoming meeting marks the first in eight years following the first policy consultation, held in September 2007. The meeting is expected to serve as an opportunity to further strengthen the friendly and cooperative relations, which have developed for more than half a century, and to expand substantive cooperation into a wider range of areas.


*unofficial translation