Seoul: South Korea has asked Libya to support the expansion of South Korean companies' presence in the North African country, particularly in the oil and refining sectors, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday. First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo made the request during a Monday meeting with Fatalla Elzuni, Libya's minister of state for African affairs, who was in Seoul to attend the Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers' Meeting.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Elzuni noted that Libya's security, economic, and political situation has been stabilizing in recent years and expressed hope that more South Korean companies would expand into Libya's construction and infrastructure sectors. Park informed Elzuni that the South Korean Embassy in Libya will soon fully reopen, a move expected to lay the groundwork for mutually beneficial cooperation. The embassy has been operating on a rotational basis between Libya and Tunisia since March 2022.
In related diplomatic efforts, Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina met with Chad's Deputy Foreign Minister Fatime Aldjineh Garfa. Kim advocated for expanded bilateral cooperation in areas such as development assistance in education and health, coinciding with the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Garfa expressed hope for strengthened ties in areas where South Korea has strengths, including climate change, education, and infrastructure, as well as increased high-level exchanges.
Furthermore, Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Eui-hye engaged in talks with visiting Zimbabwean Deputy Foreign Minister Sheillah Chikomo. During the meeting, Chung emphasized expanding bilateral cooperation in the economy, critical minerals, and development assistance. Chikomo expressed a desire for broader economic cooperation with South Korea, particularly in agriculture, digital technology, and information and communications technology (ICT). Zimbabwe is noted as one of Africa's leading mineral producers, ranking first in Africa and sixth globally in lithium production.