Seoul, July 14 (IANS) South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun plans to visit the Philippines next week for a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-related meetings to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation with partner nations and address regional and global issues, South Korea’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
During a two-day visit from July 22, Cho will co-chair the 29th ASEAN–Republic of Korea Foreign Ministers’ Meeting with Thailand and hold bilateral talks with his counterparts from the Philippines, this year’s ASEAN chair, and other countries, according to the ministry.
Cho is scheduled to attend the ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ meeting that involves Japan and China, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers’ meeting and the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Yonhap News Agency reported.
“Through the meetings, Cho plans to advance the implementation of our vision for the comprehensive strategic partnership with ASEAN and discuss ways to strengthen practical cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) and cultural and creative industries, among other fields,” ministry spokesperson Park Il said at a press briefing.
Under the ASEAN Plus Three framework, Cho will explore ways with Japan and China to enhance regional supply chain resilience in such areas as energy and food security, while reaffirming Seoul’s commitment to contributing to regional security efforts.
Cho will seek ASEAN’s continued support for the South Korean government’s policy toward the Korean Peninsula, the ministry said.
Attention is also focused on whether North Korea will send a high-level official to the ARF.
At last year’s forum in Malaysia, North Korea did not dispatch its delegation for the first time in 25 years. Pyongyang joined the ARF in 2000, six years after the forum’s launch, and had previously been represented either by its top diplomats or by ambassadors stationed in Southeast Asia.
A source familiar with the matter said there are indications that North Korea “may be leaning toward skipping this year’s forum,” though no final decision appears to have been made.
