By Kim Ji-eun

Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin will hold a meeting of heads of Korean diplomatic missions in Europe on August 26 in Istanbul, Türkiye.

The upcoming meeting is the third regional mission heads’ meeting chaired by Foreign Minister Park, following the meeting of heads of Korean diplomatic missions in Africa held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on August 9 and the meeting of heads of Korean diplomatic missions in the Middle East held in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on August 13 to discuss ways to seek support for Korea’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan and strengthen sales diplomacy in the defense industry and nuclear power plants.

Foreign Minister Park will review country-tailored strategies and activities to gain support regarding Korea’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan, a national task that the Korean government is giving top priority to.

Subsequently, Foreign Minister Park will visit Slovenia to attend the Bled Strategic Forum 2023 (August 28-29) at the invitation of Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia Tanja Fajon, who visited Korea in June. The Bled Strategic Forum, launched in 2006, is the most important and influential diplomatic and security forum in Central and East Europe, which is held annually in Bled. Foreign Minister Park attends the Forum as the first Korean Foreign Minister to do so to strengthen diplomacy with Central and East Europe.

Foreign Minister Park will participate as a panelist in a session on multilateralism at the Bled Strategic Forum, pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister of Slovenia Robert Golob, and hold a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia. Minister Park will also meet with Minister Matjaž Han of the Slovenian Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, who is in charge of issues related to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).

In the meetings with high-level officials of Slovenia, Foreign Minister Park will extensively exchange views on ways to enhance cooperation in the international arena between Korea and Slovenia, which will both serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council together for two years from 2024, as well as other issues of mutual interest. Foreign Minister Park will also request Slovenia’s support for Korea’s bid to host the Busan World Expo.

In addition, Foreign Minister Park will hold separate bilateral meetings with the Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers of other countries, including five East European countries, who will take part in the Bled Strategic Forum, and actively ask for support for Korea’s bid to host the Busan World Expo.