Deputy Minister Kim Geon Requests New Zealand's Support for the 'Korean Peninsula Peace Process'

Video Conference with Allison Man, Representative of New Zealand Senior Officials Meeting

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 7th, Kim Geon, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, held a video consultation with Alison Mann, New Zealand's representative to the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, at New Zealand's request, to discuss mutual interests for the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers' Meeting to be held via video conference this week.

New Zealand is scheduled to participate in the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) during the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

Both sides evaluated that despite the COVID-19 situation, the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers' Meeting is being held, allowing ASEAN and major regional countries' foreign ministers to continue discussions on strengthening cooperation for regional stability and peace, and hoped that the ASEAN-related meetings would serve as a foundation for cooperation on various regional challenges.

Both sides shared their positions on regional security issues and priority concerns related to the regional situation to be discussed at the EAS and ARF Foreign Ministers' Meetings, held on the 9th and 12th respectively.

Deputy Minister Kim emphasized the importance of active international cooperation for peace on the Korean Peninsula and requested New Zealand's continued support for the Korean Peninsula peace process. Both sides agreed on the need for regional cooperation to respond to infectious diseases including COVID-19 and for economic recovery, as well as the necessity to seek harmonious cooperation among various regional initiatives within the Indo-Pacific region, and agreed to strive for productive discussions on these issues at the EAS and ARF Foreign Ministers' Meetings.

Furthermore, both sides agreed to broaden the scope of cooperation between the two countries through various regional consultative bodies and to contribute more actively to regional peace and prosperity, while continuing close communication and cooperation amid difficult circumstances such as COVID-19 and the resulting economic downturn.

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