Paris, 22 October 2021 (TDI): The First Vice Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea (South Korea), Choi Jong-gun is visiting France. Earlier this week, he embarked on a diplomatic journey to UK and Belgium, respectively.
VISIT TO FRANCE
During his visit to France, he met with Alice Rufo, Deputy Diplomatic Adviser at the Presidency of France. Choi Jong-gun also visited as FSS, a French think tank.
South Korea and France have a strong bilateral relationship. Both share a likewise approach towards all-encompassing, clear, and open Indo-Pacific strategies. He appreciated France’s support for the Korean Peninsula Peace Process.
STOPOVER IN BELGIUM
Previously, the Vice Foreign Minister also paid a visit to Belgium. He met various officials, whilst there. The meetings were held in the capital city of Belgium, Brussels.
In the course of his stopover in Brussels, he attended the EU – Korea High-Level Political Dialogue and met with Enrique Mora. Enrique Mora is the Deputy Secretary-General/Political Director at European External Action Service. The core theme of the dialogue was a collaboration between the European Union (EU) and the Korean nation.
He addressed the issue of handling common foreign policy and security issues, with particular focus on the EU and Indo-Pacific region. He also gave a lecture to students taking Korean Studies courses at KU Leuven University in Belgium.
EUROPEAN UNION
In a meeting with Theodora Gentzis, the Director-General for European Affairs, in Belgium, the Korean Minister underscored his country’s strong collaborative ties with her country. The two have been collaborating closely to prepare for the post-pandemic era.
NATO
He also met with Mircea Geoană, the Deputy Secretary-General of NATO. The two deliberated upon areas of collaboration as well as an exchange of knowledge.
The visit has been very productive as per the Minister, to analyze the standing of South Korea. During his diplomatic engagements, he also pledged his country’s support on the issues of Iran and JCPOA.
The objective of this sojourn is to bolster ties between the European Nations and South Korea. The visit was also aimed to enlist the support of European countries for the Korean Peninsula Peace Process.