Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan visited Belgium on May 11 and met with his Belgian counterpart, European Parliament Delegation for the Korean Peninsula and the NATO Secretary-General.
Foreign Minister Yu and Belgian Foreign Minister Vanackere shake hands
Minister Yu met with Belgian Foreign Minister Steven Vanackere late in the afternoon and discussed economic and trade cooperation and the current situation of the Korean peninsula and Europe. The two Ministers expressed satisfaction with the development of Korea-Belgium ties and agreed to work together for an early signing of the Korea-EU FTA.
At a luncheon meeting with the European Parliament Delegation for the Korean Peninsula, the two sides exchanged views on Korea-EU relations and the current situation on the Korean peninsula, including the Cheonan incident and the North Korean nuclear issue.
Foreign Minister Yu visited NATO headquarters in the morning and met with NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. In the meeting, Minister Yu explained the current security situation on the Korean peninsula, including the North Korean nuclear issue and the Cheonan incident.
In his address to NATO's North Atlantic Council in the afternoon, Minister Yu asked for support and cooperation on Korea’s security policy.
The visit to Belgium by Minister Yu is seen to have laid the foundation for a strategic partnership between Korea and the EU. It is also seen to have served as a good opportunity to help high-ranking EU, NATO and Belgian officials better understand the current situation of the Korean peninsula and to win their support on the Korean government’s policies on the Korean peninsula.
