외교부

 Congratulatory Remarks
H.E. Lee Kyung-soo
Deputy Foreign Minister

Ambassador Jose Luis Bernal Rodriquez,
Ambassador John Aristianto Prasetio,
Ambassador Arslan Hakan Okcal,
Ambassador Willaim Paterson,
Excellencies and distinguished guests,

     The holding of this very first MIKTA Seminar in Seoul today does indeed hold great meaning. It serves to demonstrate how one-year-old MIKTA has indeed taken real steps forward. I would like to express my sincere thanks to all those at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy and the Embassy of Mexico in Seoul who have worked so hard and exerted such devoted efforts in making the arrangements for this event. I would also like to thank the array of eminent experts and members of the diplomatic corps of Korea who have given some of their valuable time to be here with us today.

(믹타의 출범배경 및 성과)

     MIKTA is a forum for consultations between middle powers, which share a common aspiration to contribute in valuable ways to the international community. The acronym "MIKTA" is formed of the first letters of Mexico, Indonesia, Korea, Turkey, and Australia. MIKTA came into being with the holding of the first Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the occasion of the UN General Assembly in September 2013. The five nations, which share a great deal of common ground in terms of values, capacity, and standing in the international community, had a common wish to form a gathering, deciding that the agenda of MIKTA will comprise issues of global governance pertaining to the five nations.
 
     The second Foreign Ministers' Meeting, held in Mexico City in April 2014, was a meeting solely for the Foreign Ministers of the five nations of MIKTA, which was a meaningful first step in reaffirming the consensus and mutual trust among its member states. The foreign ministers of MIKTA countries discussed key global issues and the vision for the future of MIKTA. Furthermore, they adopted, for the first time, a Joint Statement on a specific concern of current affairs, thereby making MIKTA's standing in the international arena workable and visible.

     Even in its short history MIKTA has taken real steps forward. Even without holding meetings, MIKTA could issue a statement following the downing of the MH17, acting timely to emphasize the need for international cooperation to strengthen the safety of civilian aviation. Moreover, the embassies of MIKTA nations are actively carrying out outreach activities  such as holding seminars participated in by third countries. As a part of its outreach activities, the first MIKTA Academic Seminar was held in Mexico City on August 11, where participants exchanged ideas on ways for MIKTA to develop further.

(믹타와 국제사회)

     Despite the fact that we live in an increasingly interconnected world of diverse and complex issues and actors, all too often, the interests of a nation or a small group of nations can supercede the global public good.

      MIKTA will actively pursue the global public good. To this end, MIKTA aims to be a useful facilitator in addressing global issues, a consultative body contributing in creative ways to the development of multilateralism, and an agenda-setter for the shaping of a new global governance. MIKTA will play the role of a bridge-builder, connecting countries that have different interests and contribute to the shaping of a more desirable global order by maximizing upon the diplomatic assets and mechanisms for cooperation of member states. However, MIKTA will in no way seek to be an exclusive group. It will, rather, embrace a spirit of openness.
    Through joint projects on issues such as development assistance, cyber space, climate change, and the environment, MIKTA member states will share their unique experience with others and, in so doing, to contribute even more fully to the international community. In the course of faithfully fulfilling its role, MIKTA will take a flexible approach in addressing issues and be open to the possibility of cooperating with other middle powers that share common values.  

(제3차 외교장관회의)

     The Third Foreign Ministers' Meeting is to be held on the occasion of the UN General Assembly in September. At this meeting, Korea will assume the role of Coordinator, taking over from Mexico. We look forward to lively discussions on the progress MIKTA has made over the past year and its way forward. It will be a chance for MIKTA to further establish itself in terms of its utility, versatility, and visibility, paving the way for further progress in the MIKTA process. 

(간사국 수임 각오)

     If MIKTA is to continue to develop as an informal consultative body that contributes to the efforts to find solutions to global issues, it needs to find answers to several questions. The first task is that of being clear about what MIKTA is and will be. There is a need for discussions on the nature of MIKTA not only among MIKTA countries but also with other partners. The second task is that of identifying the agenda MIKTA will address and what kind of message it will deliver. Lastly, we are facing the task of how MIKTA can make itself substantial and sustainable in the long term.

     Serving as facilitator for the next 12 months, Korea will seek to play a valuable role in finding answers to such questions. Furthermore, Korea will continue to engage in the outreach activities, following the footsteps of the current facilitator, Mexico. This is why we are here today and words of wisdom you offer during the discussions will be invaluable to the future of MIKTA.

(마무리 말씀)

Excellencies and distinguished guests,

    Unlike other consultative bodies, MIKTA is neither a regional group nor a subset of a multilateral body. MIKTA is an informal consultative body formed by nations which are keen to play an even fuller role in the international community. Whilst these countries may be from different regions and they may have differing religious beliefs, they are united by the shared will to contribute to the global public good.

     You are here today as co-architects to play a direct part in building this meaningful initiative. Accordingly I believe that you are entitled to take pride in yourselves for the achievements to be made by MIKTA in the years ahead.

     Autumn is a time to reap what we have sown - what is ripe to be harvested. The tree of MIKTA will bear abundant fruit, enriched further by your valuable opinions at today's seminar, and we hope to share that fruit with other countries around the world. I would ask for your continued deep interest and wholehearted support for Korea and for MIKTA.

Thank you.