Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Both Defense Ministers’ first talks since the establishment of diplomatic relations

 

 

 

On May 14, Korea and Bulgaria held the first defense ministers’ talks since the two countries established diplomatic relations, and entered into an MOU for increasing cooperation in national defense and the defense industry.

 

Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo and Bulgarian Defense Minister Nikolay Nenchev signed the Korea-Bulgaria MOU for military cooperation with President Park Geun-hye and Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev in attendance at Cheongwadae.

 

With this MOU, both sides decided to cooperate in national defense and security policy, military training and education, response to terrorism and piracy, humanitarian supporting operations and peace-keeping missions, military skills and military science activities, strengthening of arms control and security capability, etc. They are also going to have further working-level talks and military exercises, and information exchange about issues of mutual concern.

 

After the MOU signing, Ministers Han and Nenchev held the defense ministers’ talks to discuss how they can make an effort for further smooth military cooperation.

 

An MND official said, “This MOU is an agreement of basic principles about military cooperation between Korea and Bulgaria, and we regard it as meaningful to set the institutional framework of defense cooperation.” This is the third time we entered into an MOU for military cooperation with Central and Eastern Europe after Poland and the Czech Republic. Bulgaria has steadily been developing cooperative relations in the political and economic fields since the establishment of diplomatic relations in March 1990.

 

Meanwhile, President Park Geun-hye had a summit with Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev and agreed to upgrade both relations to a “comprehensive future-oriented partnership”. They also agreed to hold the first joint economic committee in Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria, this coming October to strengthen economic cooperation.

 

Taking this opportunity, the grounds for cooperation in various fields between both countries has been prepared as they entered into educational and cultural cooperation engagement, and an MOU for physical training, MOU between the Korea Importers Association and Bulgaria Exporters Association, MOU between the Korea Federation of SMEs and Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency, MOU between Gyeonggi Creative Economy Center and Bulgarian Association of SW Companies, MOU between Samsung Electronics and Bulgaria Sofia Tech Park, and an MOU between K-SW Forum and Bulgarian Association of SW Companies, etc.

 

President Park said she was pleased to upgrade the relations between the two countries to a comprehensive future-oriented partnership in a press interview after a summit talk and conclusion of MOUs of each government department and agency.

 

Major Bulgarian officials in national defense and diplomacy and the economic mission including President Rosen Plevneliev are now visiting Korea from May 13-15 to improve friendly and cooperative relations for the 25th diplomatic relations with Korea.

 

 

By Chul-Hwan, Kim < droid001@dema.mil.kr >

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