President Yoon Suk Yeol (right) and Belizean Prime Minister John Briceno on Aug. 1 pose for photos at the Office of the President in Seoul. (Office of the President)
By Lee Kyoung Mi
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Aug.1 hosted a bilateral summit with Belizean Prime Minister John Briceno in Seoul and asked for the Central American country’s support for Busan’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo.
Presidential spokesperson Lee Do Woon told a news briefing that day that both leaders discussed development of bilateral ties and stronger practical cooperation. Prime Minister Briceno was invited to visit Korea at the invitation of the Busan city government.
Welcoming the Belizean leader on his second trip to the country in two months since the first in May, President Yoon said, “More Korean tourists are visiting Belize, which has great tourism resources,” adding, “I hope that bilateral exchanges further increase.”
Prime Minister Briceno said, “I’m delighted to directly experience Korea’s remarkable economic development,” and thanked Seoul for its support for Belizean health and medical care, education and development during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both leaders agreed to expand bilateral exchange and investment and boost cooperation in a range of fields like agriculture, public safety and e-government. The Belizean leader requested Korean support for digitalization of his nation’s land transaction management and setup of an international system for electronic identification for his people.
President Yoon asked his Belizean counterpart to support Busan’s World Expo bid. The Central American state is a member of the International Bureau of Expositions, aka BIE, which will decide the host country.
km137426@korea.kr
