Deputy Minister Choi Jong-geon Meets with Newly Appointed EU Ambassador Candidate... Requests Support for Director Yoo Myung-hee

Discussion on Expanding High-Level Exchanges in Transportation, Economic Trade, and Climate

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 15th, Choi Jong-geon, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, met at the request of Maria Castillo Fernandez, the newly appointed Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Korea, and exchanged views on mutual interests such as Korea-EU relations and the World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General election.

Vice Minister Choi and Ambassador Castillo Fernandez evaluated that Korea and the EU, which share universal values, have steadily developed cooperation in various fields including politics, economy, and security, and agreed to maintain close communication at all levels even amid the COVID-19 situation.

Vice Minister Choi especially mentioned that since the Korea-EU virtual summit held on June 30 laid the groundwork for expanding cooperation between the two sides, he hopes that high-level exchanges will expand into various fields such as transportation, economic and trade affairs, and climate, so that the Korea-EU strategic partnership will continue to develop.

In response, Ambassador Castillo Fernandez stated, "The EU's interest in strengthening cooperation with Korea is higher than ever," and added, "Let us continue to expand cooperation based on a solid institutional foundation such as the Korea-EU Framework Agreement and the Free Trade Agreement (FTA)." She also expressed expectations for deepening cooperation in security areas including crisis management and cybersecurity.

Ambassador Castillo Fernandez expressed concern about the resurgence of COVID-19 in Europe and highly praised Korea's response to the pandemic. Vice Minister Choi expressed hope that Korea and the EU will jointly contribute to international efforts for equitable vaccine distribution not only through vaccine development but also via the COVAX Facility.

Both sides agreed that Korea and the EU should closely cooperate on the international stage based on similar positions on climate change response, strengthening multilateralism including the WTO. Ambassador Castillo Fernandez evaluated that Korea has been leading efforts to resolve various international issues as a regional leader.

Vice Minister Choi also requested the EU's interest and active participation in the ‘Partnership for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G)’ summit scheduled to be held in Korea next year. Ambassador Castillo Fernandez said that the two sides should closely cooperate to ensure the successful hosting of the P4G summit and contribute to the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26).

Following this, Vice Minister Choi requested support for Yoo Myung-hee, the Chief Negotiator for Trade, who advanced to the final round of the WTO Director-General election. Ambassador Castillo Fernandez highly evaluated Chief Negotiator Yoo’s capabilities and expressed hope for a good outcome in the final round.

Meanwhile, both sides agreed to share information on the situation on the Korean Peninsula and maintain close communication regarding regional developments including the Korean Peninsula. Ambassador Castillo Fernandez reaffirmed the EU’s support for President Moon’s efforts to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula and stated that the EU will strive to play a necessary role and contribute accordingly.

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