윤 장관, “회원국간 협력 필요하다”

경제개발·외환위기시 부실채권 정리경험 전수

윤증현 기획재정부 장관이 오늘(4일)부터 이틀간 인도네시아 발리에서 개최된 제42차 아시아개발은행(ADB) 연차총회에 참석해 세계경제위기 대응을 위한 회원국간 협력필요성을 강조했다.

이보다 앞서 지난달 29일 ADB는 국제개발은행 중 가장 먼저 200% 일반자본증액안을 결의한 바 있으며, 추가 확보된 재원(1098억불)을 통해 역내 회원국 지원을 강화할 계획이다.

윤 장관은 이날 기조연설을 통해 ADB의 자본증액에 대한 지지를 표명했다. 또한 ADB가 무역금융 지원 확대, 개도국 유동성 지원 등 경기대응적 노력을 더욱 강화할 것을 촉구했다.

그는 역내 금융시장 문제 해결을 위해 지역금융아키텍쳐(RFA, Regional Financial Architecture) 확대 발전도 제안했다. FRA는 글로벌 금융위기 상황에서 과도한 자본유출 등 취약성을 드러낸 역내 금융시장의 문제를 해결하고, 발전방안을 모색하기 위한 구상이다.

이밖에도 윤 장관은 총회기간 중 구로다 ADB 총재와의 양자면담을 통해 향후 아시아 경제전망과 자본증액에 따른 재원활용방안 등에 대해 논의했다. 아지모프 우즈베키스탄 제1부총리도 경제개발협력기금(EDCF)를 통한 양국간 경제협력 활성화 방안 등에 대해 의견을 나눴다.

한국은 이번 총회에서 과거 경제개발 경험과 외환위기 당시 부실채권 정리경험 등을 회원국들과 공유할 계획을 밝힘에 따라 많은 회원국들의 호응을 받았다.

다음은 윤 장관의 기조연설 원문.

Honorable President Kuroda,
Honorable Chair Indrawati,
My fellow Governors,
Distinguished guests,

As I have worked as an Executive Director at the ADB for 5 years, I am truly honored to deliver a speech at this Annual Meeting.

I would like to take this opportunity to commend the efforts of President Kuroda and the ADB staff for the regional development.

I would also like to extend my appreciation to the Indonesian Government for excellently organizing this meeting here in Bali, the ‘Island of the Gods’.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Recently, the global economy has been showing both glimmers of hope and the possibility of a prolonged recession.

Against this backdrop, ADB members, which have led economic growth over the world for several decades, are now suffering from the global economic crisis.

To overcome this unprecedented crisis, Korea and other G20 members agreed at the London Summit in April to expand fiscal spending by 5 trillion dollars by 2010, to strengthen financial regulations, to reject protectionism of any form, and to reform international financial institutions.

To develop such agreements into more tangible outcomes, ADB members must also take an active role in getting the regional economy out of the recession through enhanced economic and financial coordination.

Distinguished guests,

The ADB has made diversified efforts to overcome the current crisis in the region.

In particular, the agreement in April to increase the Bank’s capital by 200% was a leading step in that the ADB was the first multilateral development bank to expand resources to help the region fight against this difficult situation.

At this juncture, I would like to stress that member countries participated in the capital increase under difficult economic conditions. Hence, I urge the Bank to step up efforts to efficiently utilize its resources committed by member countries.
In this regard, I have some suggestions for all of us.

First, the Bank should strengthen its counter-cyclical role by providing an adequate amount of liquidity to financially strapped member countries.

To this end, I propose that the Bank take concrete measures including front-loading and fast disbursing the Bank's available resources.

Second, I call on the Bank to play a significant role in facilitating trade in the region.

Specifically, I welcome the decision last March to expand the “Trade Finance Facilitation Program” initiated by the Bank.

Third, along with these counter-cyclical efforts, I would like to ask the Bank to come up with a solution to reduce poverty and to achieve sustainable economic growth in the region.

In this context, we need to remind ourselves of the vision, "An Asia and Pacific Region Free of Poverty" under the ADB's Long Term Strategic Framework presented last year.

In addition, allow me to turn our attention to another important issue, the ‘Regional Financial Architecture (RFA)’. In order to build up economic and financial stability in the region, we need to push forward discussions on this issue.

I hope the ADB continues to take a role in the process of developing the Regional Financial Architecture with ASEAN+3 countries.

In this regard, I welcome the agreement on the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization and a meaningful progress in the Asia Bond Market Initiative.

Specifically, I appreciate the Bank's contribution to producing tangible results toward launching the regional 'Credit Guarantee and Investment Mechanism' at the ASEAN+3 Finance Ministers Meeting held yesterday.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Now, as a member of the G20 Troika, Korea is actively taking part in international efforts to overcome the global economic crisis.

A decade ago, Korea successfully overcame the financial crisis through rapid and decisive actions, thereby strengthening its economic fundamentals. In particular, we did an excellent job dealing with impaired assets.

Based on such experience, at the London Summit in April, Korea presented general principles on clearing impaired assets to the international community.

I would like to tell you that Korea is ready to share its valuable experience in overcoming the financial crisis, such as impaired asset resolution.

In addition, we are also ready to share our successful experience in poverty reduction and economic development through the 'Knowledge Sharing Program' established in 2004.
Distinguished guests,

Korea and other Asian countries have successfully overcome the financial crisis a decade ago.

Such experience has given us the capability to better cope with current economic difficulties.

Based on this experience, along with efforts to enhance economic and financial coordination in the region as well as to strengthen the role of the ADB, I am sure we will overcome the current crisis in the near future.

Before closing, I would like to emphasize that Korea will stay committed to such efforts.

Thank you very much.

발리 = 김남현 기자 nhkim@asiae.co.kr