NEWS

South Korea to support Irina Bokova’s candidacy for a second term as Director-General of UNESCO

South Korea will support the candidacy of Irina Bokova for a second term as Director-General of UNESCO, it was announced during a meeting between President Rosen Plevneliev and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea Kim Hwang-Sik. The South Korean Prime Minister said that Bokova had been able to lead the organisation successfully in spite of the difficulties and financial constraints. The two leaders held talks in the capital of Laos, Vientiane, where they will participate in the ninth summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting.

President Rosen Plevneliev announced a “pragmatic co-operation based on results” between Bulgaria and the Republic of Korea. He spoke of the efforts to position Bulgaria as a logistics hub and centre of innovation in the region and Bulgaria’s benefits from its geographical location and transport links with other economies that are strong and close, such as Turkey. “Bulgaria already has made use of the opportunities and is providing greater logistical advantages,” the President, highlighting among them the large number of airports - both civil and military- and maritime and river port infrastructure. Bulgaria provides special incentives for the construction of industrial zones and parks, President Plevneliev said.

Bulgaria has an excellent location and the opportunity to become a regional logistics hub of Southeast Europe, Prime Minister Kim Hwang-Sik said. "Your corporate tax is 10 per cent - the lowest in the world, and I have told many business leaders about this,” the South Korean Prime Minister said at the meeting. “Bulgaria has very good educational and scientific basis, and Korea -the necessary technology. So we need to combine these elements to the benefit of both countries,” he said. In the areas of the information society, e-government and development of technology centres, Korea is a good partner of Bulgaria, and will continue to be, Kim Hwang-Sik told the Bulgarian President.