The Diplomat
The Council of Ministers approved this past Tuesday the agreement between Spain and the Republic of Korea on cooperation in the field of public health for the prevention and response to diseases, while authorizing the manifestation of Spain’s consent to be bound by the agreement.
In November 2020, the Embassy of South Korea in Madrid proposed the signing of a cooperation agreement on health matters, taking into account the fluid dialogue and close collaboration between the two States during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, talks were held at the level of Heads of State and Government, as well as between the then Foreign Ministers of the two countries, Arancha Gonzalez Laya and Kang Kyung-wha (both left office in 2021).
In turn, the Republic of Korea shared its healthcare experience during the regional elections in Galicia and the Basque Country – due to the fact that Korea had already held its own legislative elections in the middle of the pandemic – and organized telematic sessions on COVID management with the participation of Spanish healthcare personnel.
The competent Spanish authorities, after evaluating the proposal, decided to comply with the request of the Republic of Korea, agreeing to the adoption of an international agreement between the two States in the field of public health for disease prevention and response. Negotiations on the text lasted from December 2020 to May 2021, when its wording was finally established.
The agreement aims to promote cooperation between the two States in disease prevention and response, as well as in the implementation of the International Health Regulations. The signing of the agreement took place in Madrid on June 16, 2021, after authorization by the Council of Ministers the previous day and coinciding with the State visit of President Moon Jae-In to Spain.
