On September 4, Secretary-General Lim Byung-jin visited Ha Byung-kyoo, consul general of South Korea in Vladivostok, during his trip to Russia to attend the Eastern Economic Forum which was held from September 3 to 6 in Vladivostok, Russia. They exchanged ideas on the recent geopolitical landscape in Northeast Asia and ways to promote cooperation among regional governments.
Mr. Lim explained to Mr. Ha the background of his attendance in the Eastern Economic Forum, NEAR’s recent activities and major projects, and what he discussed with the prime minister of Primorsky Territory. He also called for the support from the Korean consulate-general in encouraging Russian NEAR members to actively participate in the NEAR events.
In response, Mr. Ha explained the current relationship between South Korea and Primorsky, and the situation of the Korean companies and residents in the region. He acknowledged that while the strained Korea-Russia relations pose challenges to cooperation, exchanges between local governments and private-level cooperation must continue. Then, he emphasized that NEAR plays an important role in facilitating exchanges among regional governments in Northeast Asia, and expressed his intention to support NEAR’s activities to the extent possible.