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| ▲ South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin (R) shakes hands with his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna, before their talks at the foreign ministry in Seoul on April 14, 2023. (Yonhap) |
S Korea-France-FM talks
S. Korea, France discuss cooperation in Indo-Pacific, N.K. ICBM
SEOUL, April 15 (Yonhap) -- The top diplomats of South Korea and France have held talks on collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region and on North Korea's ballistic missile provocations, Seoul's foreign ministry said Saturday.
Foreign Minister Park Jin and his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna, held "in-depth discussions on the overall bilateral relationship, the potential for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, and a range of regional and global issues," the ministry said in a joint press release on the fourth South Korea-France strategic dialogue held Friday in Seoul.
The two sides agreed that their respective Indo-Pacific strategies share the values of freedom, democracy, rule of law and human rights and that there are many areas with great potential for collaboration, such as climate change response, support for Pacific Island Countries and maritime security.
The ministers also condemned North Korea's ballistic missile provocations, including Thursday's purported solid-fuel Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile launch, and emphasized the need for the international community's firm and united response to such threats.
On Ukraine, the two sides agreed to work together closely on supporting the war-torn nation, including humanitarian assistance and the process of rebuilding and rehabilitating Ukraine, the ministry added.
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