The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat participated in preparatory senior officials’ talks in Seoul on Saturday, laying groundwork for the Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting scheduled for June 2, 2026.
The senior officials’ meeting focused on strengthening Africa-Korea cooperation, advancing AfCFTA implementation, and scaling partnerships in trade, digital systems, and industrial development, according to people familiar with the discussions.
The talks yielded outcomes, including strong support for the Korea-AfCFTA Cooperation Fund, enhanced capacity-building programs for customs authorities, and backing for the establishment of a one-stop origin management system. Korean officials also committed to sharing expertise drawn from the country’s experience in free trade agreements.
Participants shared a commitment to deepen economic cooperation, infrastructure development, and institutional capacity-building across the continent, the people said.
The AfCFTA Secretariat used the occasion to highlight its growing partnership with the Government of the Republic of Korea, which now spans multiple technical and private-sector initiatives.
These include collaboration with KTNet on the Origin Management System, startup acceleration programs with the Korea–Africa Foundation, Single Window development with CUPIA, and trade and transport facilitation projects with KAIST. The Secretariat is also working with the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) on private sector collaboration.
