Baku to mark 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations with South Korea
By Amina Nazarli
South Korea plans to conduct a number of events in connection
with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic
relations between Azerbaijan and the Republic of Korea.
A grand event at the Heydar Aliyev Palace in Baku on September 17
will be organized by the Embassy together with SEBA
Azerbaijani-Korean Cultural Exchange Association Public Union,
Deputy Ambassador Kwon Dong Seok told reporters on September
11.
About 80 Korean top artists and taekwondo masters will visit
Azerbaijan to show the essence of Korean traditional music and
culture. Within the event, performances by Korean masters of arts,
organization of exhibitions, fashion shows and sporting events, as
well as support to Azerbaijani IDPs will be held.
Exciting taekwondo demonstration performance will be shown by best
taekwondo practitioners of the famous Kukkiwon Taekwondo
Demonstration Team.
These events will be organized both in Baku and in other cities of the country - Sumgayit and Gabala.
Talking about the bilateral ties, Seak said that the diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and South Korea have reached a high level of development over the past 25 years.
"For 25 years, relations between our countries are at the highest level, bilateral cooperation in all spheres is high, we are working towards bringing it to a higher level," he said. "The proof of this can be the presence of a large number of South Korean companies in Azerbaijan.”
The largest South Korean company Samsung is implementing a number of projects in Azerbaijan.
"Currently there are more than 10 South Korean companies
operating in Azerbaijan. They are the best and biggest companies of
the country. These companies work in important spheres for
Azerbaijan, in particular, in infrastructure, where both sides take
benefits. The experience of South Korea in the non-oil sector is
very high. IT, infrastructure, medicine, and agriculture also among
interest of both sides,” he stressed.
Touching upon tourism, Kwon Dong Seok stressed the role of air
communication.
"At the moment, there is no direct air communication between our countries, but this year the growth of tourists from South Korea to Azerbaijan was reported," the deputy ambassador said.
He stressed that the level of relations between the two countries is growing due to the mutual visits of the presidents of Azerbaijan and South Korea.
He added that the Koreans know little about Azerbaijan.
“Despite the fact that geographically we are at a great distance from each other, the mentality of Koreans and Azerbaijanis is very similar. We must ensure the rapprochement of peoples, which is a priority. The lack of direct flights is an obstacle in this and we are currently working on and negotiating in it,” said the deputy ambassador, expressing hope that this will happen in the near future.
Baku and Seoul have steadily developed relations in various fields, including politics, economy and culture. Korea is interested in further contribution to the economic development of Azerbaijan by sharing economic development experiences and technology.
Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and South Korea amounted to $72.17 million in 2016, according to Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee.
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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli
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