The G7 consists of the US, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, Yonhap news agency reported…reports Asian Lite News
Seoul’s top diplomat on Wednesday urged the need for democratic and advanced countries like South Korea and Australia to support and cooperate with the G7 economic powers.
Foreign Minister Park Jin made the remarks at a conference hosted by the NEAR Foundation, an independent think-tank specialising in Northeast Asia, calling on “advanced democratic countries” to play their roles so that the international society moves toward the path of freedom, democracy and other universal values.
“Since its launch, the Yoon Suk Yeol government has expanded its international role and responsibility as the world’s eighth country in terms of its status and power on par with the advanced G7 countries,” he said.
“The G7 requires the participation and support of countries like South Korea and Australia, which have faithfully accomplished democracy and developed into advanced economies,” he added.
The G7 consists of the US, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, Yonhap news agency reported.
He also stressed that South Korea is in an ideal position as a “bridge” country between developed and developing nations across the world.
“South Korea is in the ideal position to play the role of a bridge between the Global North and the Global South, as well as the Global East and the Global West,” he said.
At the conference, Richard Haass, president emeritus of the US Council on Foreign Relations, stressed the need for democratic countries to set rules that push back against “cyber interference” in their internal affairs, noting Taiwan’s presidential election next month, South Korea’s parliamentary election in April and Washington’s presidential election in November next year.
“It is in our collective self-interest to figure out how it is we protect our democratic processes and push back against those — Russia, leading among them, but also others, like North Korea and China — who would interfere with them,” he added.
NSAs to meet in Seoul
The National Security Advisers of South Korea, the US and Japan will meet in Seoul this weekend to discuss trilateral cooperation on North Korea, and other regional and global issues, the Presidential office said on Wednesday.
The meeting between National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong and his US and Japanese counterparts, Jake Sullivan and Takeo Akiba, respectively, will be held on Saturday in line with an agreement reached by President Yoon Suk Yeol, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during their Camp David summit in August, Yonhap news agency reported.
The three sides plan to have “in-depth” discussions on ways their countries can work together trilaterally on regional security issues, including North Korea, global issues and economic security, the Presidential office said in a press statement.
On Saturday, Cho and Sullivan will lead the inaugural session of the Next Generation Critical and Emerging Technologies Dialogue, which Yoon and Biden agreed to establish during their bilateral summit in April.
On Friday, Cho will hold bilateral meetings with Sullivan and Akiba to discuss issues of mutual interest.
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