Jeonnam Governor Kim Young-rok Discusses 'COP28 Hosting' in Spain's Basque Region

Governor Meeting... Discussing Cooperation Plans Including Cultural City Revitalization

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeonnam Province, who is on a tour of Europe, held talks with I?igo Urkullu, President of the Basque Autonomous Community in Spain, on the 16th to discuss hosting the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28).

According to Jeonnam Province on the 17th, Governor Kim met with I?igo Urkullu, President of the Basque Country in Spain, to discuss the transformation of Bilbao, which had been in decline due to mine closures, into a tourist city attracting about 1.2 million visitors annually by hosting the Guggenheim Museum.

They also discussed cultural city regeneration projects aimed at reinventing the city from an industrial city focused on shipbuilding and other industries in the 1980s to a cultural and tourism city.

Bilbao built the Guggenheim Museum in 1997 and expanded infrastructure such as the subway. It has made continuous efforts to change the entire character of the city, including constructing a new terminal at the airport, which had been considered for closure.

Governor Kim said, “Jeonnam Province and the Basque Country have many commonalities in culture, arts, and excellent food culture, so there are many areas where we can cooperate.”

The Basque President is reported to have shown great interest in establishing an international cooperation system and agreed on the importance of the role of local governments that are closer to the citizens.

During this meeting, they also discussed hosting the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) centered on Yeosu and the southern coastal and southern central regions.

I?igo Urkullu, the Basque President, was the first to emphasize the importance of cooperation among local governments at the COP21 Paris Conference in 2015 since the conference's inception. The provincial government is implementing its own plans to prepare for climate change.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties consists of 197 member countries. It is held on a rotational basis by continent. In Asia, Japan, India, Indonesia, Qatar, and Fiji have each hosted once. The 25th Conference of the Parties was held in Madrid, Spain, in December 2019.

On the last day of the tour, the 17th, Governor Kim is scheduled to move to Barcelona, Spain, and return home.

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