Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin (left) on Dec. 13 shakes hands with Dutch counterpart Hanke Bruins Slot at their bilateral talks during President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to the Netherlands. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
By Xu Aiying
The government will boost communication on economic security with the Netherlands by setting up a dialogue body for policy think tanks in each country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul said its Minister Park Jin on Dec. 13 in the Netherlands during President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit there discussed cooperation at a breakfast meeting with Dutch counterpart Hanke Bruins Slot.
Both ministers said President Yoon’s trip, the first of its kind by a Korean leader since bilateral ties were formed in 1961, was a key opportunity to reinforce the strategic partnership agreement of both countries that was upgraded in November last year.
The joint statement adopted during the visit is expected to boost bilateral strategic communication and raise cooperation in a range of sectors such as economic security, energy, science and technology, and human exchange.
The ministry said both ministers welcomed stronger bilateral strategic communication through measures like the launch of a biennial high-level “2+2” foreign affairs and industrial ministerial dialogue and an annual policy conference, two things agreed on during the president’s visit.
Both countries hailed “active” bilateral consultations on the emerging security sector and agreed to closely cooperate to set relevant international standards through cohosting the second Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain, aka REAIM, Summit in Seoul next year.
They also welcomed on the occasion of the state visit the announcement of the bilateral semiconductor alliance and adoption of an agreement document to boost cooperation in economic security, semiconductors and supply chain for core items. Both sides also pledged to actively utilize diplomatic dialogue channels set up through this.
A dialogue system between policy think tanks in both countries will also be pursued through support from the foreign ministries of both countries. From next year, a bilateral body for discussing economic security and the Indian-Pacific region will be launched and the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy and the Hague Center for Strategic Studies will promote two-way exchange.
After their talks, Ministers Park and Bruins Slot signed a memorandum of understanding on the revision of the bilateral working holiday program to double the annual quota for participants from 100 to 200.
xuaiy@korea.kr
