Toespraak EU-voorzitter Herman Van Rompuy opening EU-Korea-top (en)
EUROPEAN COUNCIL THE PRESIDT
Brussels, 8 November 2013 EUCO
PRESSE 460 PRPCE 201
Opening remarks by President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy i at the seventh EU-Korea summit
It is a pleasure to welcome you, Madame President, and your distinguished delegation, to the European Union for the 7th EU-Korea Summit. On this occasion we are celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations. Looking back at these years makes a strong impression. Korea is in our collective memory due to the Korean war and a lot of our member states and troops, under the UN flag, fought for your freedom. The Korea of today, the European Union of today and the world of today have changed dramatically when compared to the times when our relations were starting. And, although faith in constant progress has considerably declined since the 19th century, there is no doubt that, in many ways, our societies have advanced considerably in the last 50 years. And our relations are closer than they ever have been in the past
It is true that with bigger means come greater responsibilities. We will be discussing many of these in the course of the morning. My main message is that, if our relations were important 50 years ago, they are much more important today. Confronting the challenges with which we are faced require, more than ever, international cooperation and solidarity
While this is deeply ingrained in the European DNA, there is no better sign of what Korea represents today and of its approach to world problems, than the fact that one of its most distinguished sons, Ban Ki-moon i, is the Secretary General of the United Nations
Madame President, our cooperation is based on a two track approach - political and economic - which are fully complementary. The political dimension has structured our relations more consistently since we raised them to the level of "strategic partnership" in 2010. Regular high level dialogues are being developed. We consult and work closely on issues ranging from Middle East and North Africa to East Asia. We cooperate on human rights, non-proliferation, disarmament and development policies. We will soon be signing a "Framework Participation Agreement" for Korea's association in crisis management operations led by the European Union. Even ahead of this agreement, the EU side can not but welcome and express gratitude for important contributions by Korea to EUCAP/NESTOR, an operation aimed at developing the naval capabilities of Eastern Africa costal states in order to assist them in the fight against piracy
Let me also say that Korea's current membership in the United Nations' Security Council brings added relevance to our exchanges on many of these issues
In the last 50 years Korea has emerged from very low ranks in the lists of development to become the world's 15th economy. Korea is today a rightful member of the G20 and a partner with which it is necessary to work when addressing the challenges of a globalised economy
Indeed, the European Union and Korea markets are already closely linked. We are the 4th trading partners of your country and one of the main investors in its economy
The Free Trade Agreement, and I assume Mr Barroso will speak in more in-depth on this, provisionally applied as of 1 July 2011, has already shown its potential and I am pretty sure that as European Union Member States further recover from the financial crisis the expansion of our trade relations will regain vigour
Madame President, in closing my introductory statement, I wish to underline that through their economic strength and political cooperation, the European Union and Korea are jointly pursuing a global agenda of peace and development. An agenda based on the promotion and protection of democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, common values that we hold dear. These are the tasks that we undertake together and these are the vows that we propose to renew on our 50th anniversary through the Joint Declaration we will be adopting
EUCO