By Ya Awa Touray
Communications officer
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, Sering Modou Njie, led The Gambia’s delegation to the 2026 Korea–Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held in Seoul, Republic of Korea from 31st May to 2nd June. The minister was accompanied by Ms Fatou Kinneh Jobe, Permanent Secretary II at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Masanneh Kinteh, Ambassador of to the Republic of Korea with residence in Beijing, and other senior government officials.
The meeting brought together foreign ministers and heads of delegation from African countries, representatives of the African Union and key continental institutions, alongside the government of the Republic of Korea, to review progress made since the 2024 Korea–Africa Summit and to further strengthen cooperation aimed at promoting shared prosperity, sustainable growth and resilience.
The ministerial meeting was preceded by the Senior Officials’ Meeting held on 31st May, during which The Gambia was represented by PS Jobe. In her intervention, she reaffirmed The Gambia’s commitment to strengthening the Korea–Africa partnership and emphasised the importance of translating the commitments of the partnership into concrete and measurable outcomes that directly benefit the peoples of Africa and Korea. She further highlighted the importance of strengthening monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure the effective implementation of agreed initiatives.
Addressing the ministerial meeting held on 1st June on the theme “Strengthening Economic Cooperation – Promoting Shared Prosperity and Sustainable Growth,” Minister Njie conveyed the fraternal greetings and best wishes of President Adama Barrow to President Lee Jae Myung of the Republic of Korea, reaffirming the strong and cordial relations between the two countries. He underscored the importance of enhanced Korea–Africa cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure development, technology transfer, agricultural modernisation, energy, digital transformation, and human capital development. He noted that stronger partnerships in these areas are essential for creating opportunities for young people, strengthening economic resilience, and accelerating sustainable development across Africa.
Minister Njie welcomed and reaffirmed The Gambia’s support for the 2026 Korea–Africa Joint Statement, which seeks to deepen practical and mutually beneficial cooperation between Korea and African countries. He commended the Republic of Korea for its continued support to The Gambia’s national development priorities, particularly through initiatives aimed at improving food security, expanding technical and vocational education and training, promoting innovation, and strengthening governance institutions. He also acknowledged Korea’s support for peacebuilding and institutional strengthening initiatives in Africa, including assistance to The Gambia’s transitional justice process.
Minister Njie further welcomed the recently signed memorandum of understanding between The Gambia and the Korea-Africa Foundation, noting that it represents an important step towards strengthening people-to-people exchanges and expanding practical cooperation between the two countries.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of the 2026 Korea–Africa Foreign Ministers’ Joint Statement, which reaffirmed the commitment of Korea and African countries to deepen cooperation in areas including trade and investment, infrastructure development, digital transformation, education, food security, climate action, health, peace and security, and people-to-people exchanges.
The participation of The Gambia in the 2026 Korea–Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting reflects the government’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with the Republic of Korea and advancing strategic partnerships that contribute to national development, economic transformation, and the well-being of the Gambian people.
