Visit by Bernard Kouchner to Korea
In Korea, the minister met with the President of the Republic, Mr. Lee, and the Foreign Minister, Mr. Yu Myung-hwan. He gave a speech on global and regional crises at Seoul National University.
The meetings also focused on global challenges, and in particular on Korea’s forthcoming presidency of the G20; Korea will host the next summit in November 2010, before France in 2011. The minister welcomed the commitment of the Korean authorities to innovative financing, notably through their participation in UNITAID, and encouraged them to take an active role in the debate currently underway.
Bernard Kouchner had in-depth exchanges with the president and the foreign minister regarding North Korea. The Korean president gave his analysis of the situation in this country and shared with the minister the international community’s concern regarding North Korea’s nuclear program and the human rights situation.
The minister reaffirmed France’s decision to open an office for cooperation and humanitarian assistance underlining that its main objective would be to encourage the work of the NGOs on the ground and to improve the living conditions of the population. This office would open by the end of the year providing North Korea does not engage in any new provocations.
Bernard Kouchner reaffirmed, as he did in Japan, that establishing diplomatic relations with Pyongyang was not on the agenda.
The two parties welcomed the signing of the partnership and cooperation agreement between the European Union and Korea (which is due to be ratified by the European Parliament).
[…]
***
- discours du ministre_kr
Minister Kouchner’s conference at Seoul National University
1/9