Seoul, 19 March 2024 (TDI): US Secretary Blinken leads a US delegation to attend the Third Summit for Democracy hosted by the Republic of South Korea from 18-20 March 2024. During this visit, he met President Yoon and discussed DPRK aggression toward Seoul.
Secretary Blinken was on a diplomatic tour from 14 to 20 March 2024. Including Austria, South Korea, and the Philippines. During this tour, he attended the United Nations Commission on Narcotics Drugs (CND) and Third Summit Democracy.
“Met with President Yoon in Seoul today before the first day of the third summit for Democracy and reiterated our continued resolve in the face of the DPRK’s hostile rhetoric and destabilizing activities,” Secretary Blinken.
Under Secretary, Uzra Zeya also joined Secretary Blinken in the meeting with President Yoon. Both counterparts discuss the bilateral relationship of the US-Korea. Moreover, they appreciated the Republic of South Korea for hosting the event.
Also Read: Secretary Blinken Meets Republic of Korea’s Foreign Minister
Secretary Blinken Remarks
Secretary Blinken delivered the opening remarks and expressed gratitude towards all the presenters and leaders at the summit.
He stated we come from different states, either developed or undeveloped countries, and we all are united for democracy which is the most powerful tool.
Further, he said, President Biden launched the summit of democracy for the rights of people. After the Cold War democracy was used for two decades. But for some time, corruption has been rising, the electoral process has not worked, and freedom has been worsened.
According To reports, he said, “Under this summit 100 nations agreed to adopt democracy to tackle the issues. The US is supporting over a dozen countries through mandates to strengthen independent media and journalists via the International Fund for Public Interest Media”.
Secretary Blinken Said, US President Biden has underscored the significance of supporting democracy and its expansion globally. Democracy is people’s needs which matter in their lives for their livelihoods.
Moreover, he added “We need to focus on issues like inclusive economic growth, social rights, and the needs of marginalized communities. To achieve this, we’re investing in initiatives like the Youth Democracy Network to connect young democratic leaders and shape a technological future that’s inclusive and rights-respecting”.
At last, he said, we need to work collectively on this issue for our people and for the democratic model.
He thanked Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Cho for his work on a successful Summit for Democracy. “We discussed continued cooperation to deter DPRK aggression and shared concerns about Pyongyang’s military support for Russia and increased rhetoric aimed at the ROK,” he added.
