▲ In this file photo, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) poses with other IP4 leaders at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Washington, D.C., on July 11, 2024. IP4 refers to NATO's four Indo-Pacific partners -- South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. From left are Yoon, Christopher Luxon of New Zealand, Fumio Kishida of Japan and Richard Marles of Australia. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

S Korea-IP4-EU

IP4, EU hold vice ministerial-level meeting to discuss potential areas for cooperation

By Kim Han-joo

SEOUL, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and its counterparts from Indo-Pacific partner nations, as well as the European Union, have held a vice foreign ministerial-level meeting to discuss potential areas of future cooperation, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday.

The meeting, which took place virtually Wednesday, included the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's four Indo-Pacific partners, known as the IP4 -- Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea -- and the EU, the ministry said in a release.

The meeting was attended by First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun, Okano Masataka of Japan, Jan Adams of Australia, Tahamoana Macpherson of New Zealand and Stefano Sannino, secretary-general of the European External Actions Service.

The participants shared assessments of the geopolitical situation in the Indo-Pacific region and discussed potential areas for future cooperation, including economic security, cybersecurity, foreign information manipulation and interference, and public diplomacy, the ministry said.

The "4+1" vice ministers' meeting was the third such meeting following two rounds of meetings last year. All three meetings were reportedly held at the EU's suggestion.

The initiative is seen as part of a broader trend emphasizing the security linkage between Europe and the Indo-Pacific region, particularly as NATO seeks to strengthen cooperation with the IP4.

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