By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo The following article was contributed by Eldor Tulyakov, Executive Director, Development Strategy Centre (Uzbekistan), to the UN Journal for publication through the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul. -- Ed. As Uzbekistan stands on the brink of its 2024 elections, the nation is at a crucial juncture that will shape its future on both domestic and international fronts. These elections, scheduled for October, are not just another democratic exercise; they are a pivotal continuation of the irreversible reforms that began in late 2016. These reforms aim to strengthen the role
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo Guatemalan Ambassador to Korea Sara Angelina Solis Castaneda met with Chairman Kim Byung-kwan of Korea Importers Association (KOIMA) at the KOIMA in Bangbae-dong, Seoul to discuss ways to stabilize the global supply chain and expand bilateral trade. "Guatemala has high competitiveness in coffee, macadamias, and wood products, but we have recently faced difficulties in exporting macadamias and wood due to China's import restrictions," said Ambassador Castaneda. "With the help of the Korea Importers Association, we hope to expand our exports to South Korea, Singapore, J
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo “Royal Thai Embassy in Korea will host the Sawasdee Seoul Thai Festival on Oct. 5-6, 2024, at Cheonggye Plaza in Seoul to introduce both traditional and contemporary Thai culture to Korean audiences,” said Amb. Tanee Sangrat of Thailand to Korea on Aug. 6. In an interview with the Diplomacy Journal, Amb. Tanee Sangrat said, “Through the Thai festival, visitors can look forward to enjoying popular Thai food and products already beloved in Korea, as well as discovering new and exciting Thai offerings we are eager to showcase.” Noting that 1.6 million Korean tourists vis
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo “Lao PDR can serve as a strategic production base for Korean companies aiming to expand into ASEAN, China, and other markets,” said Amb. Songkane Luangmuninthone of the Lao PDR to South Korea on Aug. 6. In an interview with the Diplomacy Journal, Amb. Songkane Luangmuninthone said, “Lao PDR offers a streamlined, one-stop service for investors and a favorable tax system, making it an attractive destination for foreign investment.” He said, “Therefore, we extend a warm invitation to Korean companies to invest in sectors such as energy, mining, infrastructure, agricultur
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo Guatemalan Ambassador to Korea Sara Solis Castaneda visited the Honorary Consulate of Guatemala in Busan and expressed her willingness to cooperate to facilitate the import and export of coffee from three Central American countries, including Guatemala, through Busan Port. According to the Honorary Consulate of Guatemala in Busan on Aug. 4, Ambassador Castaneda visited the Honorary Consulate of Guatemala in Busan, Busanjin-gu, Busan. Ambassador Castaneda met with Guatemalan Honorary Consul General Lim Su-bok and they agreed to work together to import and export coffee
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik met with Ambassador Peter van der Vliet of the Netherlands at the Woo’s office on Aug. 1. The two countries have been strategic partners since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1961, developing bilateral ties based on common values such as freedom, democracy, and human rights. "I congratulate the new government of the Netherlands on its recent inauguration and look forward to continuing our strategic partnership with the new government," Woo said, welcoming Ambassador van der Vliet. "The Netherlands ranked as the top
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo Ambassador Chafik Rachadi of Morocco to Korea hosted a reception to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the accession of His Majesty the King Mohammed VI to the Throne, commemorated as the National Day of the Kingdom of Morocco, at the Ambassador Seoul Pullman Hotel in Seoul, on July 30. Delivering a speech at the reception, Ambassador Chafik Rachadi said, “Morocco has spent the past quarter century cultivating and building momentum in international diplomacy, taking a dynamic course to establishing itself as a worldwide player. “One important result of this approach is
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo Kim Hong-kyun, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, and Ma Zhaoxu, Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, held the tenth Korea-China Vice Foreign Ministerial Strategic Dialogue on July 24 in Seoul. The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest such as Korea-China relations, , and regional and global affairs. The Dialogue has been held 9 times since the two countries agreed at the Korea-China Summit in 2008 to establish a high-level strategic dialogue channel between their diplomatic authorities. The tent
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo The Central Election Commission held a meeting and a series of events today, July 26th. The primary agenda item was the preparation and high-level accomplishment of the upcoming elections for the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis and the Councils of People's Deputies in full compliance with the Constitution and laws. According to Article 128 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, are scheduled to take place on the first Sunday of the third ten-day period of October in the year their term expires. Considering that the term of the deputies of the Legisl
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo Noting that the annual APEC CEO Summit will be held in Lima, Peru, from November 13 to 15 this year, Peruvian Ambassador to Korea Paul Fernando Duclos Farodi said, “We look forward to the visit of President Yoon Suk-yeol and an important delegation of senior officials and representatives of the private sector of Korea to Peru in November this year.” Delivering a speech at the reception held at Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul to mark the 203rd Anniversary of the Independence of Peru on July 25, Amb. Duclos Farodi said, “A few weeks ago, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of P
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young The special envoy delegation of President Yoon Suk-yeol, comprised of Presidential Chief of Staff for Policy Sung Tae-yoon and Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Deok-geun, met with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala on July 24 and delivered a letter of thanks from President Yoon for the selection of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) as the preferred bidder for the new nuclear power plant, and discussed follow-up measures. On behalf of the Korean government and Team Korea, Sung Tae-yoon, head of the envoy delegation, expressed his gratitude for the opportu
UNJournal Jon Lee | Minister of Justice Park Sung-jae and Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam of the Republic of Singapore signed the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Singapore on July 24, 2024, in Singapore. The Treaty establishes an institutional foundation for mutual legal assistance in criminal matters between the two countries that celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year, by laying out the specific scope and procedures for the legal assistance. The Tre
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo “I invite Korean electrical appliance companies to consider Colombia as an investment destination,” said Colombian Ambassador to Korea Alejandro Peláez Rodríguez at a reception to celebrate the 214th Colombia’s Independence Day. Delivering a speech at the gala reception held at Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul on July 22, Amb. Rodríguez said, “We have worked with the Korean authorities and companies to make it a reality that South Korea engineering is present in Colombia in the design, construction and operation of electric, solar and wind power generation plants. “The sol
By UN Journal L:ee Kap-soo The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT) announced on July 19 that it has agreed to increase the number of flights between Korea and the Czech Republic from the current four to seven times a week. The Czech Republic is home to more than 100 Korean companies in various sectors, including automobiles and semiconductors. Prague is a popular tourist destination for Koreans, and the airline sector has been the foundation for enhancing friendly cooperation between the two countries since the establishment of direct flights in 2004. As part of the industr
By UN Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul held a Foreign Ministerial Meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly in Seoul to exchange views on bilateral relations, regional and global developments on July 18. The two ministers noted that recent exchanges and communications between the leaders and ministers of the two countries demonstrate the importance that both sides attach to the Korea-Canada relationship, and adopted the Korea-Canada Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Action Plan as a follow-up to the May 2023 Korea-Canada Summit. The Action Plan is designed