MOHAMMED RASOOLDEEN
COLOMBO : “ The ongoing labour cooperation is a very important aspect of Korea-Lanka bilateral relations. Around 23,000 Sri Lankan workers are presently employed in Korea, contributing to the economies of our two countries,” Korean Ambassador Santush Woonin Jeong said on the Korean National Foundation Day in Wednesday,October 5.
Speaking at a packed audience of dilpomats, senior government officials, businessmen and ministers and legislators,|Jeong said : “ “Before the COVID-19 pandemic, they have transmitted around 520 million USD to Sri Lanka in 2019. Sri Lankan employees in the Republic of Korea are a great asset to strengthening the economic ties of both countries. Their hard work has not only helped the economy of Sri Lanka but also the economy of Korea. The EPS Centre has made great efforts to promote labour cooperation between our two countries.”
“ KOICA has conducted numerous projects with pivotal strategic goals such as education, transportation, water resources, food, and agricultural development, thus successfully elevating the development of Sri Lanka. I truly believe that as a reliable friend, Korea is a trustworthy partner of Sri Lanka to meet the current needs of national development. With these as momentum, the bilateral ties are expected to widen and deepen further in the years to come.
Sri Lanka is one of the top five nations to benefit from Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund. The investment in
various ODA projects benefitting Sri Lanka since 1987 exceeds US$ 900 million in a total of concessional loans through Korea Exim bank. For instance, the Framework Arrangement enabling the Sri Lankan Government to obtain soft loans of a value of up to $500 million USD from the EDCF of the Korean Government was renewed for the years from 2020 to 2022.
At the same time, the New Village Movement known as the Saemaul Foundation in Sri Lanka and KOPIA have achieved success in developing rural livelihood through meaningful initiatives implemented in Sri Lanka.
I believe that deepened economic engagement is important to provide synergetic opportunities in trade and investment. Sri Lanka is strategically valuable, in terms of its geopolitical location, the abundance of natural resources, and skilled human resources. Korea’s capital and state-of-the-art technology will be complementary to create the perfect synergies for our two countries. The trade volume between Korea and Sri Lanka has increased by 30 times since its establishment of diplomatic ties in 1977. Korea was one of the biggest investors in Sri Lanka in the 1990s. While we have come a long way together on the path of development, there is a lot more to be done. I believe that Sri Lanka has the potential to be developed as “the Miracle on Kelani River.”
Challenge is another chance. Now is the time to realize the potential of this beautiful country and achieve our common goals together. It is an opportune moment for Korea and Sri Lanka to deepen and widen exchanges, learn from each other’s experiences and intensify mutually beneficial trade and FDIs. KOTRA in Colombo, a specialized agency for commercial ties, is working very hard to consolidate our bilateral economic cooperation.
Cultural cooperation is also a key pillar of our bilateral ties. I can humbly mention that Korean dramas, movies, music and cuisine have attracted a global audience. K-dramas such as Daejanggum also known as ‘Sujatha Diyani’ and the award-winning movie “Parasite” have made Korean culture more popular throughout the world including in Sri Lanka. I thank many Sri Lankans for your interest and enthusiasm shown for the Korean culture, movies, dramas, and food. In commemoration of the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Sri Lanka this year, the Korean Embassy has organized a series of special cultural events like the Korean Lantern Festival, Quiz on Korea, K-pop World festival and Korean Ambassador’s Taekwondo Championship. Just recently, the Korean Film Festival was successfully held. The love and support shown by Sri Lankans for these events is a source of great motivation and encouragement for the Korean Embassy. I hope that you will continue to stand with us and promote the Korean culture. Of course, I would like to make more efforts to promote cooperation between our two countries in the fields of movies, dramas and culture, especially engaging with the youth.
Young people are the future leaders in every country. As Ambassador of Korea to Sri Lanka, I have focused more on communicating with Sri Lankan young people. I am proud of the SNS supporters of my embassy who are composed of Sri Lankan young people. Your activities with enthusiasm moved me so much. Thank you so much.
The Korean language is getting popular among Sri Lankan youth with the increased popularity of K-Pop and K-Drama. The Korean Embassy really appreciates the Sri Lankan government’s decision to adopt the Korean language for advanced level classes from 2021 onwards and to introduce Korean as a subject among foreign languages for the university entrance examination from 2023. I hope more and more young people from both our countries will learn the language of each other, become precious assets and build bridges for communication. Especially, I would like to thank you Honourable Education Minister Dr. Premajayantha for your valuable cooperation.
I am also very proud of Korean people in Sri Lanka. Korean Residents in Sri Lanka have lived here for a long time, more than 20 to 30 years. In the face of challenges in Sri Lanka, Korean residents always stand with Sri Lankan people. For example, I highly commend the voluntary act of Korean residents to donate education materials including papers to Sri Lankan students this year. Their sincere generosity to help this beautiful island nation is very meaningful. They continue to show their love for Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan people.
I also mention that Korea has been a friend of Sri Lanka in its hour of need.International cooperation and solidarity were key factors to overcome global challenges that the world faced. Korea has joined the global efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as a responsible member of the international community. Since last year the public health cooperation between Korea and Sri Lanka has been robust. The Republic of Korea has stood in solidarity with Sri Lanka to help strengthen the government of Sri Lanka’s national response to the pandemic. Under the “stay strong” campaign, Korea has been a friend indeed in times of need, by donating around $3 million worth of equipment to combat the COVID-19 virus in Sri Lanka in the last two years.
This year, as the world healed, Korea’s Foreign Ministry and UNICEF Headquarters successfully launched the ‘END Violence for children’ global SNS campaign throughout the world, to help protect children from all forms of violence. My embassy has been conducting the campaign in many occasions.
World Expos have always presented a new vision for the potential of mankind. World Expo 2030 will be an ideal opportunity to build consensus between advanced and emerging economies. Having made the successful journey from a developing country to a developed one, I believe that, Korea is best fitted to play a role of bridging developed and developing nations to tackle global challenges together. Korea’s bid to host the World Expo 2030 in Busan shows that Korea is ready to become a strong advocate in transforming our world and navigating toward a better future.”
Minister of Education,Susil Premjaanth,Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abewardene were present at the colorful event which was attended by a galaxy of VIPs.