ASEAN and the ROK Reaffirm Commitment to Enhance Cooperation

14-Mar-2016

Source:  ASEAN Secretariat News

ASEAN and the ROK Reaffirm Commitment to Enhance Cooperation

JAKARTA, 14 March 2016 – The 3rd Meeting of the ASEAN-Republic of Korea (ROK) Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) held in Jakarta on 11 March reaffirmed commitment to forge closer ASEAN-ROK cooperation. The annual JCC Meeting is a key mechanism to review ASEAN-ROK cooperation and discuss future directions.

Both sides noted the significant progress made in the implementation of projects and activities under the ASEAN-ROK Plan of Action (POA) 2011-2015, and stressed the need to ensure that the POA 2016-2020, adopted by the ASEAN and ROK Foreign Ministers last year, will be just as effective in driving the partnership over the next five years.

The JCC also noted the efforts by both sides to further liberalise ASEAN-ROK trade flows including the removal of barriers. The aim is to realise a two-way trade target of USD 200 billion by 2020. The ROK reiterated its commitment to establish an ASEAN Culture House in Busan by 2017 to promote ASEAN cultures in the ROK. ASEAN Member States acknowledged the ROK’s continued contribution to ASEAN’s development in areas such as climate change, forest management and agriculture.

ASEAN and the ROK discussed recent developments in their respective regions, and reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability and security in the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula and the wider region.

The Meeting was co-chaired by H.E Norng Sakal, Permanent Representative of Cambodia to ASEAN and H.E. Suh Jeong-in, Ambassador of the ROK to ASEAN, and attended by the Permanent Representatives of other ASEAN Member States as well as representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat.

                                                              ###