“한-키르기 합작기업, 인구 1억8천만 중앙아 시장 진출 교두보”

*아시아엔 해외필진 기고문의 한글번역본과 원문을 함께 게재합니다.

[아시아엔=누르잔 카스말리에바 키르기스스탄 <카바르 뉴스에이전시> 국제부장] 지난 10월 15일 키르기스스탄 수도 비슈케크에서 한국-키르기스스탄 제4차 경제협력위원회의가 개최됐다. 이날 회의엔 한국 측에선 이성호 외교부 경제외교조정관, 키르기스스탄 측에선 다니야르 아만겔디예프 경제통상부 장관이 대표로 참석했다. 대표단은 교육, 의료, 농업, 환경, 정보화, 이주노동자, 관광 등 다분야에서의 협력에 대해 논의했다.

한국과 키르기스스탄의 교역 규모는 약 1억 달러에 불과하지만 협력의 잠재력은 높이 평가받고 있다. 이와 관련해 양측은 “경제·투자협력의 실질적 발전을 위해 양국 재계 간 접촉을 강화하는 것이 중요하다”고 지적했다.

키르기스스탄 측은 한국 측에 “유라시아경제연합(EAEU)과 중앙아시아 독립국가연합(CIS) 시장 진출을 위해 한국-키르기스스탄 합작기업 설립을 검토해달라”고 요청했다. 중앙아시아는 교역 면세는 물론 교통이 용이하며, 문화적 동질성을 지닌 시장으로, 인구 약 1억8200만명의 시장 잠재력도 갖추고 있다. 아만겔디예프 장관은 “키르기스스탄에서 한국기업의 평판도 좋다. 양국은 투자협력을 지속적으로 이어가야 한다”며 한국 재계의 적극적인 투자를 당부했다.

아만겔디예프 장관은 특히 코이카를 통한 원조에 감사를 표했다. 실제로 한국은 2013년 11월 키르기스스탄 정부와의 보조금 기본협정 체결, 2014년 코아키 사무소 개설을 통해 지원을 강화해 왔다. 특히 코이카는 다년간 키르기스스탄에서 활동을 이어가며 4천만 달러 이상의 구체적인 프로젝트들이 추진됐다.

한국 측도 코이카가 주관하는 키르기스스탄 스마트팜 보조금 사업과 첨단산업단지 시범 조성 사업에도 관심을 표명했다. 첨단산업단지는 원격 모니터링, 스마트온실 등 신기술을 활용한 농작물 재배단지가 될 것으로 기대를 모으고 있다. 이성호 조정관은 “현재 키르기스스탄을 지원하는 새로운 협정을 준비 중”이라며 “한국이 키르기스스탄을 경제동반자 우선국 명단에 포함시켰으며 관광과 농업 분야에서 협력할 준비가 되어 있다”고 밝혔다.

양국 대표단은 정보통신기술(ICT) 협력에 대해서도 논의했다. 아만겔디예프 장관은 “코로나19 대유행에 따라 전자상거래가 국제 무역에서 경쟁적 우위를 제공한다”며 “양국의 디지털기술 개발, 전자상거래 협력을 강화할 필요성이 있다”고 강조했다. 이에 대해 이성호 조정관은 “그동안 ICT 교류가 활발하진 않았지만, 키르기스스탄이 한국의 노하우를 도입한다면 좋은 성과를 거둘 수 있을 것”이라 화답했다.

대표단은 양국이 문화와 언어, 역사적 뿌리에 공통분모를 갖고 있으며, 관계증진의 기반이 되는 문화인적 교류가 활발히 이뤄지고 있다는 것에 대해 동의했다. 또한 양국의 직항 항공편이 개설되면 무역과 경제교류가 강화되는 것은 물론 관광을 비롯한 인적교류에서도 가시적인 성과를 보일 것이라 밝혔다.

2022년은 한국과 키르기스스탄이 수교 30주년을 맞이하는 해다. 이와 관련해 양국은 2022년 수교 30주년을 맞아 문화행사를 공동 개최하기로 의견을 모았다. 아울러 아만겔디예프 장관은 2022년도 사디르 자파로프 대통령의 방한 일정을 조율할 것이라 밝혔다.

Kyrgyzstan, Korea to boost economic cooperation
By Nurzhan Kasmalieva

BISHKEK: Bishkek hosted the fourth meeting of the intergovernmental Kyrgyz-Korean Commission on Economic Cooperation on October 15.

The meeting was chaired by Minister of Economy and Commerce Daniyar Amangeldiev from the Kyrgyz side and Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic Lee Seong-ho from the Korean side.

During the meeting, Minister Amangeldiev noted that the sides reached mutually acceptable decisions on all issues of the agenda, in particular on issues of enhancing bilateral trade and economic relations, interaction through the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), cooperation in education, healthcare, industry, agriculture, ecology, digitalization, coordination of labor migration, tourism, and other equally important issues.

The potential of trade and economic cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and South Korea has great prospects, but today it should be noted that the level of trade is low, which varies within the range of $100 million.

In this regard, for the purpose of practical development of economic and investment cooperation, it is important to strengthen contacts between the business circles of the two countries, the sides noted at the meeting.

The Kyrgyz minister called on the Korean side to consider the possibility of establishing Kyrgyz-Korean joint ventures on the territory of Kyrgyzstan for further entry into the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and CIS markets, because the membership of the Kyrgyz Republic in the EAEU opens up broad prospects for trade and economic cooperation, since it is not only duty-free movement of goods, but also a single transport, educational and cultural space with a population of about 182 million people.

Speaking about investments, the Kyrgyz minister called on the business circles of Korea to more actively develop investment cooperation.

“Korean entrepreneurs are widely represented in Kyrgyzstan, we must continue investment cooperation,” Amangeldiev said.

The minister of economy also noted that the Kyrgyz side highly appreciates and is grateful to the Korean side for the financial and technical assistance through the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). After the signing in November 2013 of the Framework Agreement on Grant Aid between the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Government of Korea, as well as the opening of the KOICA Representative Office in Bishkek in 2014, the amount of aid received has increased. Thus, over the years of KOICA’s activity in Kyrgyzstan, specific projects worth more than USD 40 million US dollars have been implemented in the country.

The Kyrgyz minister of economy and commerce emphasized the need to enhance cooperation in the development of digital technologies, e-commerce as, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic it was most clearly manifested that e-commerce provides competitive advantages in international trade.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs of Korea Lee Seong-ho stressed that the countries had not been actively exchanging experience in the development of information and communication technologies (ICT).

“Thanks to the intergovernmental meeting, we learned that the Kyrgyz side is interested in cooperation in the field of digital technologies. We understand that any country needs some support for development. Previously, we did not actively exchange experience in the field of ICT,” he said adding that if Kyrgyzstan introduces Korean know-how into industry, the results will be significant.

“Now the work is underway to sign a new industrial agreement to provide grant assistance to Kyrgyzstan,” he noted.

Lee Seong-ho also added that Korea has included Kyrgyzstan in the list of priority countries for economic partnership and is ready to cooperate in the fields of tourism and agriculture.

The Korean side expressed the interest in implementing a Smart Farm grant project in Kyrgyzstan under the KOICA, in particular, the Project for the Creation of a Pilot High-Tech Agro-Industrial Complex, which implies the creation of a complex for growing vegetables and berries using new technologies, including a management function smart greenhouses such as remote monitoring and control of temperature and humidity.

The Korean minister also stressed the need to implement joint socially significant projects in Kyrgyzstan.

The participants of the meeting stressed with satisfaction the high level of interaction in the field of cultural and humanitarian cooperation, a favorable basis for which is laid by the similarity in the culture and language of the two peoples, as well as the presence of common historical roots.

In this regard, the Kyrgyz side expressed the interest in the implementation of joint cultural events, since 2022 is the anniversary date for the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries, the sides agreed to hold joint cultural events, including days of culture.

The Kyrgyz minister voiced the interest in organizing the visit of President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov to Korea in 2022 as part of the celebration of the jubilee date – the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kyrgyzstan and South Korea.

In addition, the sides noted that the soonest launch of direct flights between Kyrgyzstan and Korea will make it possible to intensify trade and economic interaction and make a tangible contribution to the development of the tourism industry of the two countries.

The meeting of the Kyrgyz-Korean intergovernmental commission was held in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding. Following the meeting, a protocol was signed.