Representatives from the Korean and Serbian governments discuss ways to further enhance bilateral cooperation during the sixth Korea-Serbia Policy Council in Seoul on June 22.
Korea and Serbia have reaffirmed their friendly and cooperative ties.
On June 22, the two governments held the sixth Korea-Serbia Policy Council at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul. They discussed a wide range of issues that span trade and investment through to cooperation on the global scene and across Southeast Europe and Northeast Asia.
Attending the talks were Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Kim Hyoung-zhin and Serbia’s Acting Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Goran Aleksic.
The Korean deputy minister called on the Serbian government to work together to expand practical cooperation, especially in trade and investment, as he pointed out the high potential that Belgrade retains as an economy that has open markets and which is a key geopolitical player. The Serbian minister spoke about the need for such an effort, and said that he hopes the two nations could see more human-to-human exchanges between high-ranking officials, as they will mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties in 2019.
Mentioning the Serbian government’s decision to implement U.N. sanctions, as well as the European Union’s own sanctions against North Korea, Deputy Minister Kim said, “If we continue to make combined efforts to change North Korea’s strategic calculations, and with the international community’s adherence to a zero-tolerance policy toward North Korean nuclear weapons, we will ultimately lead the North to choose a path toward denuclearization.”
In response, Aleksic said that, “Serbia backs all efforts being made toward a Korean Peninsula free from nuclear weapons and toward peace and security,” reaffirming his government’s determination to join in all efforts to restrain the North’s nuclear weapons ambitions, including U.N. sanctions.
The two countries first established diplomatic ties in 1989 and have since continued to enhance their bilateral relationship through a series of agreements, such as a double tax avoidance agreement and aeronautical agreements, as well as through talks between high-ranking officials and through efforts to expand areas of cooperation on the global scene.
Goran Aleksic (left), Serbia’s acting assistant foreign affairs minister, and Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Kim Hyoung-zhin shake hands during the sixth Korea-Serbia Policy Council on June 22.
By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
jiae5853@koea.kr
