On September 24, Secretary-General Lim Byung-jin met with Kochetova Ekaterina, deputy prime minister of the Republic of Buryatia, during the 14th NEAR High-Level Working Committee held in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China. They exchanged ideas on Buryatia’s role as the NEAR chair.
Mr. Lim expressed his pleasure to see Ms. Kochetova again after their last encounter at the Eastern Economic Forum held in Vladivostok in the early September, and explained the organization of NEAR as well as the expected role as the NEAR chair.
Additionally, Mr. Lim requested that Mr. Tsydenov attend next year’s NEAR General Assembly in person, alongside other heads of Russian member governments, to formally assume the chairmanship, barring any special circumstances.
Ms. Kochetova thanked Mr. Lim for arranging a separate meeting with her despite the busy schedule and discussed the matter of assuming NEAR chairmanship.
She emphasized Buryatia’s extensive experience in hosting large-scale international events, and stated that the region would strive to successfully fulfill its role as the NEAR chair.
The Republic of Buryatia has applied to become the 16th NEAR chair, with the official vote to take place at the 2025 NEAR General Assembly.