Poland’s Andrzej Duda and South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeo held discussions at the presidential palace in Warsaw on Thursday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
During the meeting, Poland and South Korea signed memoranda of understanding on infrastructure cooperation and joint efforts for the reconstruction of Ukraine, as well as a framework for collaboration in the promotion of trade and investment, officials said.
The two presidents then held a joint news conference, during which Duda told reporters that Poland's business ties with South Korea dated back 34 years, leading to an extensive presence of South Korean firms in the country.
“And so we can confidently say that Korean entrepreneurs are well familiar with Poland and the Polish people, who are in turn well familiar with Korean entrepreneurs, and above all Korean products,” Duda said.
He added that thousands of Polish workers were employed by South Korean companies operating in Poland and that the two countries “greatly enhanced” bilateral cooperation "in many important fields" over the past two years.
'South Korean armament products are helping modernise the Polish army'
Duda told reporters: “Poland and South Korea have greatly stepped up cooperation between our arms industries. Today, South Korean armament products are helping modernise the Polish army.”
He noted that Poland has "secured deliveries" of FA-50 light combat aircraft, K2 Black Panther battle tanks and K9 Thunder self-propelled gun howitzers for its army from South Korea.
The Polish president stated: “It is our firm ambition to not only buy modern defence equipment for Polish soldiers in South Korea, but also to produce such equipment in Poland. During President Yoon’s visit we are working to ensure that this happens.”
Infrastructure cooperation
Duda said he and Yoon had also discussed "infrastructure cooperation," including on Poland’s planned mega-airport CPK, the PAP news agency reported.
South Korea’s Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) is the project’s strategic advisor and a potential strategic partner, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
Other areas of potential cooperation include joint projects to develop Poland's harbours and railway network, as well as measures to boost Polish-South Korean maritime trade, Duda told reporters.
He added: “All of these projects would involve Korean firms investing in Poland.”
'Brilliant prospects’ for bilateral trade
The Polish president welcomed Yoon’s announcement that South Korea would increase the number of flight connections with Poland. He said he hoped South Korea would further open up its market to Polish agri-food products, the PAP news agency reported.
Duda revealed he and Yoon also talked about "bilateral cooperation in the energy sector and high-tech industries."
He told the news conference that overall trade between the two countries surpassed USD 10 billion in 2022.
“I can safely say that there are brilliant prospects for further development of economic cooperation between Poland and South Korea," Duda stated.
'Optimal partners in rebuilding Ukraine’
Meanwhile, South Korea’s Yoon said his country and Poland "can be optimal partners in rebuilding Ukraine."
The South Korean leader described Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a "challenge to freedom, human rights and the rule of law of the international community."
He told reporters that Poland and South Korea pledged to continue their support "for ending the war and restoring peace," the Korea JoongAng Daily website reported.
South Korean leader praises ties with Poland
Yoon praised his country's "unprecedented" defence cooperation with Poland, including last year's deals for the export of K2 tanks and K9 self-propelled howitzers to Poland.
He said these contracts "will greatly contribute to strengthening Poland's defense capability as well as defense cooperation between Korea and Poland in the future."
He voiced hope that bilateral defence cooperation would expand into "technology transfers and joint research and development," Korea JoongAng Daily reported.
Nuclear power, high-tech, e-vehicles
Yoon announced that Poland and South Korea had agreed to actively support cooperation between their companies "for the successful construction of a nuclear power plant in Poland."
In April, Poland’s state-run energy giant PGE and private energy firm ZE PAK created a joint-venture company to build a nuclear plant in western Poland together with South Korea’s KHNP, according to reports at the time.
Yoon called for a "mutually beneficial economic cooperation relationship" with Poland in areas such as high-tech industries, including clean energy, batteries, electric vehicles and information technology, and urged close cooperation in dealing with complex global crises such as the climate crisis and supply chain instability. according to Korea JoongAng Daily.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, prezydent.pl, Korea JoongAng Daily
