On July 23, Mr. Vladislav Mongush, First Secretary of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Korea, met with Mrs. Choi Ju-hwa, Director of International Cooperation at the NEAR Secretariat, in Seoul. During the meeting, Mr. Mongush extended an invitation for NEAR Secretary-General Lim Byung-jin to attend the upcoming Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), to be held in Vladivostok, Russia, from September 3 to 6. In particular, the Secretary-General was invited to speak in the “Greater Eurasian Partnership” session.
On the same day, the National Centre ”RUSSIA” also sent an official invitation to Secretary-General Lim, requesting his to participation as a speaker in the international expert session titled ”Transformation of Trade and Connectivity Institutions in the New Reality”, scheduled for September 6 as part of the EEF.
Choi expressed sincere appreciation to both the Embassy and the National Centre for their kind invitations. However, she explained that due to a scheduling conflict with NEAR events, the Secretary-General would be unable to attend on this occasion. She emphasized NEAR's continued commitment to promoting joint prosperity and peace in Northeast Asia through intergovernmental cooperation, particularly with its Russian member governments, including the current Chair Government, the Republic of Buryatia.