Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin (center) on the afternoon of Nov. 26 speaks at the 10th Korea-Japan-China Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at Nurimaru APEC House in Busan’s Haeundae-gu District.
By Israa Mohamed
Photos = Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The foreign ministers of Korea, Japan and China will speed up preparation for their next trilateral summit.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin on Nov. 26 in the afternoon held talks with counterparts Yoko Kamikawa of Japan and Wang Yi of China for around 100 minutes at Nurimaru APEC House in Busan’s Haeundae-gu District in the 10th Korea-Japan-China Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
This was the first meeting of its kind in more than four years since its ninth edition in August 2019 in Beijing, China.
Yonhap News and other Korean media quoted Minister Park as saying at a news briefing right after the meeting, “We (the three ministers) agreed to expedite preparation for the upcoming summit.”
“We decided to quickly resume and normalize trilateral cooperation,” he added. “We will strive to make the hosting of the trilateral summit visible in the near future.”
Korea next year will chair the ninth trilateral summit of the three countries’ leaders discussed that day.
To provide practical benefits to the people of the three countries through trilateral cooperation, the ministers agreed to substantially raise tangible cooperation centered on six sectors: human exchanges, science and technology and digital transformation, sustainable development and climate change, health care and aging population, economy and trade, and peace and national security.
Stressing the importance of exchange projects for future generations, Minister Park proposed that the three sides expand and develop youth exchange programs as a signature cooperation area.
Turning to the Korean Peninsula and other regional issues, he said, “North Korea’s provocations and nuclear development are among the biggest threats to regional peace and stability.” He also emphasized close cooperation with the international community including Japan and China.
In addition, the minister again asked for Japan and China’s support for Busan’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo ahead of the Nov. 28 announcement of the host city by the Paris-based International Bureau of Expositions.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin (center) on Nov. 26 poses for photos with counterparts Yoko Kamikawa (right) of Japan and Wang Yi of China at the 10th Korea-Japan-China Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at Nurimaru APEC House in Busan’s Haeundagu District.
ess8@korea.kr
