Korea: Explore a new path toward overseas infrastructure markets through strategic cooperation with Turkey

SEJONG CITY, South Korea, Oct. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Korea hosted "Korea-Turkey Business Networking Forum" on October 18th in Istanbul, Turkey, to boost infrastructure cooperation and explore an economic cooperation model through strategic coordination and collaboration between governments, state-owned enterprises and private firms of both countries.

The forum aimed to create a new model of wining foreign infrastructure contracts following Canakkale Bridge project through cooperation of private firms and public organizations and forge a strategic partnership for other countries' projects. Participants at the forum mainly discussed the ways of strengthening comprehensive cooperation that included cooperation projects, financial procurement and technology exchanges.

During the forum, Minister Kim Hyun-mee of Land, Infrastructure and Transport discussed with high-level officials for road and railway and the President of Turkish Construction Association the ways of jointly implementing or investing in projects of third countries and follow-up measures to cooperation projects and gave them "Plaques of Appreciation" to express gratitude for their contribution to infrastructure cooperation between Korea and Turkey.

Minister Kim emphasized that Korea and Turkey could jointly make the best use of their respective strengths and competitiveness and create a new economic momentum through strategic cooperation in other countries including the Central Asia.

She also said that the two countries would expand the scope of cooperation based on past achievements such as Canakkale Bridge project, Bosphorus underwater tunnel project and Eurotem (a joint rolling stock manufacturing company).

Before attending the forum, Minister Kim had meetings with Chairman of the Board and Director General for Road and Chairman of the Board and Director General for Railway and agreed to promote cooperation in invitation training, research and development, and initiate the activities of technology exchanges. They also discussed close cooperation in large scale infrastructure projects such as electric locomotive export project, high speed rolling stock purchase project and Izmir immersed tunnel project.