Deputy Minister Kim Geon holds meeting with Pacific Alliance member country envoys to discuss 'Post-Corona' diplomatic strategies

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 27th that Vice Minister Kim Geon presided over a video conference with heads of missions in the Pacific Alliance member countries.

Vice Minister Kim and the heads of missions discussed bilateral diplomacy with Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Chile after the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how these countries, as members of the Pacific Alliance?the largest economic bloc in Latin America?and South Korea can develop various forms of cooperation. South Korea has signed Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with three of the four Pacific Alliance member countries?Chile, Peru, and Colombia?and maintains a strategic partnership with Mexico.

The Pacific Alliance is a regional integration body established in 2012 by four key Latin American countries on the Pacific coast with the goal of expanding into the Asia-Pacific region. It is a core economic bloc in Latin America with an economy ranked eighth in the world. Trade between South Korea and the Pacific Alliance member countries accounts for about 60% of South Korea's total trade with Latin America. South Korea shares universal values such as democracy, market economy, and human rights with the Pacific Alliance member countries and has been an observer state of the Pacific Alliance since 2013.

Vice Minister Kim stated, “We have successfully carried out health cooperation to overcome the COVID-19 situation together with sincere solidarity and cooperation with the Pacific Alliance member countries,” and emphasized, “Let us continue this cooperation into post-COVID-19 diplomacy.” In response, the heads of missions reported that along with health cooperation, their respective missions have closely consulted with the governments of the Pacific Alliance member countries to support the safe return of Korean nationals and protect the activities of local Korean residents and businesses.

Furthermore, the participants exchanged views on diplomatic strategies such as establishing a formal consultation channel to institutionalize consultations between the Pacific Alliance and South Korea, and promptly pursuing accession as an associate member that would bring trade liberalization benefits with all four Pacific Alliance countries.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained, “The participants of the meeting agreed that the COVID-19 crisis should be turned into an opportunity to expand health and medical cooperation, while broadening ways to cooperate with Pacific Alliance member countries in areas such as digital infrastructure development, non-face-to-face businesses, and renewable energy.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.