SEVENTH EU-REPUBLIC OF KOREA SUMMIT MARKING FIFTY YEARS OF COOPERATION

European Commission

Press release

Brussels, 6 November 2013

SEVENTH EU-REPUBLIC OF KOREA SUMMIT

MARKING FIFTY YEARS OF COOPERATION

The seventh EU-Republic of Korea Summit will take place in Brussels, 8 November 2013.

The EU will be represented by Herman Van Rompuy², President of the European Council, and by José Manuel Barroso³, President of the European Commission. The Republic of Korea will be represented by President PARK Geun-hye, who took office earlier this year after her election in December 2012. Commissioners Karel De Gucht⁴ (Trade) and Máire Geoghegan Quinn⁵ (Research, Innovation and Science) will also participate.

"This summit marks 50 years of bilateral relations between the EU and South Korea. Over the years, our relationship has turned into a strategic partnership. It is a multifaceted process.Dialogues and cooperation are intense in a wide number of fields where we share common interests. We cooperate with Korea in multilateral fora in working for peace and prosperity, promoting non-proliferation and disarmament, protecting human rights, fostering cyber-security and mobilising our capabilities for the promotion of sustainable development. We welcome the Republic of Korea's participation in EU crisis management missions, and its initiatives regarding Asian regional security, including those aimed at building trust in the Korean peninsula" said President Van Rompuy ahead of the meeting.

President Barroso said: "I am looking forward to welcome President Park in Brussels in such a symbolic year when we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our bilateral relations. I am happy to have contributed over these last years to transform these relations into a truly Strategic Partnership, which has been growing from strength to strength. During this summit, we will move forward our successful cooperation in the political area as well as in the economic one where our trade agreement features as an important landmark. Korea's goal of "creative economy" and the EU's Strategy of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth are complementary and we have much to gain from cooperating with each other in areas such as research, higher education and industry. We also appreciate Korea's role on global issues and we intend to bring our positions further together on G20⁶, international development and climate change. So I have very high expectations and I am confident that this Summit will set the scene and the framework for another 50 years of fruitful relations."

The Summit will start with a short tête-à-tête followed by a plenary session and press conference (11.50-12.20) before the Summit lunch. Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn and RoK Minister of Science, ICT and Future Planning Choi will sign an arrangement for the exchange of researchers in front of the press.

A Leaders' declaration, marking 50 years of the establishment of bilateral relations between the EU and the Republic of Korea, will be issue, together with the traditional joint press statement at the end of the Summit.

• 1. 

  The European Commission is the executive body of the EU and runs its day-to-day business. It is made up of the College of Commissioners, 27 European Commissioners, one for each member state, who are each responsible for one or several policy areas. In addition, the 'Commission' also refers to the entire administrative body that supports the Commissioners, consisting of the Directorates-General and the Services.
   
• 2. 

  From December 1st 2009 Herman Van Rompuy (1947) is president of the European Council. He officially started his term on January 1st 2010. On November 19th 2009 Van Rompuy was appointed by the European Council in this office for two-and-a-half years. On March 1st 2012 he got re-elected. From December 30th 2008 to November 2009, Van Rompuy was prime-minister of Belgium.
   
• 3. 

  José Manuel Durão Barroso (1956) is president of the European Commission. He has been in office since the 18th of November 2004. Prior to his installation as Commission president Barroso served as state secretary for foreign affairs and prime minister of Portugal. He holds a degree in political sciences and has worked in academia for a number of years. Barroso is member of the PSD (Partido Social Democrata), a centre-right party allied to the European People's Party.
   
• 4. 

  Karel De Gucht (1954) was van juli 2009 tot 1 november 2014 lid van de Europese Commissie. In de Commissie-Barroso II (2010-2014) was hij belast met handel. Daarvoor had hij een half jaar de portefeuille ontwikkeling en humanitaire hulp. De Gucht was lid van het Europees Parlement, van het Vlaams Parlement en van de Belgische Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers. Sinds 2004 is hij minister van Buitenlandse Zaken en in december 2008 werd hij vicepremier. De Gucht, die tevens advocaat en burgemeester van Berlare is, was lange tijd voorzitter van de Vlaamse liberale partij Open VLD.
   
• 5. 

  De Ierse Máire Geoghegan-Quinn (1950) was in 2010-2014 lid van de Europese Commissie, belast met onderzoek, innovatie en wetenschap. Zij was in 1999-2010 lid van de Europese Rekenkamer in Luxemburg. Na een opleiding tot lerares werd zij in 1975 tot parlementslid gekozen voor Fianna Fáil, de Ierse liberale partij. Zij bekleedde daarna diverse ministersposten (zij was in 1979 de eerste vrouwelijke minister van Ierland). In 1992 was mevrouw Geoghegan minister van Toerisme, Vervoer en Communisatie en in 1993-1994 minister van Justitie. In 1997 verliet zij de politiek.
   
• 6. 

  Dit internationale forum bestaat uit de 19 grootste nationale economieën plus de Europese Unie. De officiële naam van de G20 is de 'Groep van Twintig Ministers van Financiën en Voorzitters van Centrale Banken'. De G20 heeft tot doel bij te dragen aan wereldwijde economische groei en ontwikkeling.