1. The Republic of Korea and Israel held their first consultation on development cooperation policy at the former’s Foreign Ministry in Seoul on May 9. The head delegates to the meeting were Director-General for Development Cooperation Lee Yong-soo of the ROK Foreign Ministry and Ambassador Gil Haskel, head of MASHAV -- Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation.

2. In the policy consultation, the two countries shared with each other their respective experiences of building the national infrastructure and achieving an economic growth over a short period of time. In addition, they discussed ways that they, by building on their respective experiences and comparative advantages, can jointly play a role in developing countries’ efforts to build capacity and achieve sustainable development. They agreed to seek ways to work together in helping developing countries develop their human resources in such sectors as education and healthcare.

3. The ROK Foreign Ministry has been holding consultations on development cooperation policy with major donor countries to share with them their relevant experiences and develop joint cooperation projects. The policy consultation with Israel has served as an opportunity for the ROK government to broaden the range of Middle Eastern donor countries, which it works with, beyond the UAE and Qatar.


* unofficial translation