President Moon: "Australia, the Optimal Partner for the Hydrogen Economy Era"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] President Moon Jae-in, who is on a state visit to Australia, held a summit with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on the morning of the 13th to discuss cooperation measures related to carbon neutrality and the hydrogen economy.

This summit marks the third meeting this year following the G7 summit in June and the G20 summit in October. The two leaders broadly discussed bilateral cooperation, regional and international cooperation, and other mutual interests, and agreed to elevate the bilateral relationship to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

President Moon expressed gratitude to the Australian government for actively cooperating in the urgent transportation of urea solution, saying, "Recently, Korea experienced a shortage of urea solution and reaffirmed the importance of securing a stable supply chain."

He also said, "I hope that the two countries will continue to closely cooperate to establish a stable supply chain in various fields, including critical minerals," and added, "I hope cooperation cases will continue to be discovered through initiatives such as the 'Korea-Australia Critical Minerals Cooperation Dialogue,' and I am pleased to sign the 'Critical Minerals Supply Chain Cooperation MOU' today."

Prime Minister Morrison also emphasized the importance of securing supply chains and expressed a strong commitment to carbon neutrality, including clean energy such as hydrogen energy and low-carbon steel.

They exchanged views on carbon neutrality and the hydrogen economy. President Moon said, "I am pleased to sign the MOU to strengthen the momentum of the Carbon Neutral Technology Partnership," and added, "I look forward to achieving our common goal of transitioning to a carbon-neutral society together."

He further stated, "Australia and Korea are optimal partners for mutually complementary cooperation in preparing for the hydrogen economy era," noting, "Australia has very favorable conditions for supplying clean hydrogen based on abundant solar power and gas fields, while Korea has advantages in utilizing hydrogen through hydrogen vehicles, fuel cells, and long-distance transportation of hydrogen via dedicated ships."

President Moon mentioned the signing of the K-9 self-propelled howitzer project contract on the day and expressed hope that mutually beneficial defense cooperation will continue to strengthen. He also expressed expectations for expanded 5G network cooperation and synergy in the space sector between the two countries.

Prime Minister Morrison said, "There are 20,000 Korean students in Australia, and Korean Australians play a significant role in Australia," adding, "Starting Wednesday (December 15), we plan to expand people-to-people exchanges by allowing quarantine-free entry for Koreans."

In response, President Moon welcomed the move and said, "I hope that exchanges between the peoples of the two countries will soon fully resume, contributing to the revitalization of tourism industries and economies in both countries."

Prime Minister Morrison stated, "To ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region, let us link Australia's Indo-Pacific strategy with Korea's New Southern Policy to strengthen cooperation for peace and prosperity in the region." He emphasized Australia's firm commitment to nuclear non-proliferation, clarifying that the propulsion of nuclear submarines is not for nuclear weapons development and highlighting cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

President Moon emphasized that the declaration of the end of the war is not an end in itself but a momentum to start dialogue. Prime Minister Morrison expressed respect for President Moon's wisdom and vision for the permanent peace settlement and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and reaffirmed unwavering support for efforts toward the peace process on the Korean Peninsula.

The two leaders also shared views on the Myanmar situation and a free and fair international order based on norms.

The Blue House stated, "This summit, held on the occasion of the 60th anniversary state visit, reaffirmed the cooperative relationship between the two countries as allies sharing fundamental values such as democracy and market economy," and added, "It is significant in that it formalized the elevation of the relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership and presented a new direction for the development of bilateral relations, including the promotion of economic and trade, defense, and defense industry cooperation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.