By Kim Ji-eun

Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin, who was on a visit to Slovenia (August 26-28) to attend the Bled Strategic Forum, paid a courtesy call on Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob and met with Minister Matjaž Han of the Slovenian Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, which is in charge of issues related to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) on Aug. 28.

In his courtesy call on Prime Minister Golob, Foreign Minister Park conveyed words of comfort over the recent flood damage in Slovenia, and appreciated that the two countries, which share universal values, have developed close relations in a variety of areas, as seen by the opening of the Embassy of Slovenia in the ROK last year, which marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. 

Prime Minister Golob welcomed Foreign Minister Park’s visit, and looked forward to strengthening cooperation with Korea, especially in nuclear power plants and logistics. He also hoped that the ROK Embassy in Slovenia would also open in the near future, serving as an opportunity to further enhance bilateral relations.

Foreign Minister Park requested Prime Minister Golob’s attention and support for the smooth operations of Korean companies located in the Slovenian port of Koper, a gateway to Central Europe, and suggested continuing to increase cooperation in logistics and nuclear power plants. 

Prime Minister Golob said that there is great potential for further economic cooperation between the two countries, and added that his country would provide maximum support to ensure the seamless operations of Korean companies in Slovenia and to expand investments.

Furthermore, regarding Korea’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan, Foreign Minister Park stressed that support from Slovenia, a value-sharing country, would hold great significance for Korea, and asked for Prime Minister Golob’s active interest and role in ensuring that Slovenia supports Korea’s bid.

In the meeting between Foreign Minister Park and Minister of the Economy, Tourism and Sport Han, the two sides discussed ways for economic cooperation between the two countries. The two Ministers expressed hope that with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on cooperation between Busan and Koper in June this year, port logistics cooperation between the two countries would be deepened further, and agreed to continue working together to expand the scope of cooperation into areas such as automobile components, nuclear power plants, and tourism. Foreign Minister Park also explained difficulties related to the port of Koper, which is important for Korean companies in Slovenia.

Foreign Minister Park stated that the World Expo 2030 Busan would serve as an opportunity to further expand cooperation between Korean and Slovenian companies by providing a forum for exchanges among companies around the world, and actively requested support from Minister Han of the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, which handles issues related to the BIE. Minister Han stated that his country would seriously consider Korea’s request.

With this, Foreign Minister Park actively communicated with all high-level officials related to Korea’s bid for the World Expo, including the Slovenian Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of the Economy, Tourism and Sport.