- Legislative Leaders from Northeast Asia Attend in Large Numbers...
High Interest in the First Multilateral Local Legislative Assembly Forum -
- NEAR Leads Cooperation Beyond Local Governments to Local Legislative Assemblies -
- Seeking to Expand Multilateral and Bilateral Exchange and Cooperation through Legislative Assembly Sessions and 1:1 Exchange Sessions -
The 2025 NEAR International Forum – Northeast Asian Regional Council Cooperation Forum," aimed at promoting exchange and cooperation among local legislative councils from six countries in Northeast Asia and Central Asia, was successfully held on Tuesday, December 9, at the Hilton Gyeongju Hotel in Gyeongsangbuk-do.
Hosted by the Secretariat of the Association of Northeast Asian Regional Governments (NEAR) and sponsored by Gyeongsangbuk-do and Pohang City, the forum brought together approximately 100 representatives from 21 NEAR member local councils and local governments across six countries—South Korea, China, Japan, Mongolia, Russia, and Kazakhstan—as well as resident member of the diplomatic corps. Participants engaged in discussions on the role of regional council and cooperation strategies amid the rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape of Northeast Asia.
Key attendees included: from the Republic of Korea, the Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, the Speaker and Vice Speaker of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Assembly, the Speaker of the Ulsan Metropolitan City Council, and the Speaker of the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial council; from Russia, the Speaker of the Irkutsk region Legislative Assembly and the Vice Speaker of the Republic of Buryatia People's Khural; from Mongolia, the Speakers of Bulgan Aimag and Umnugovi Aimag, along with delegates from six Mongolian regional legislative assemblies; and from China, high-ranking legislative officials, including representatives from the People's Congresses of Gansu Province, Shandong Province, Hunan Province, as well as the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Their participation reflected strong interest in this inaugural international cooperation forum for local legislative councils held on the NEAR platform.
The opening ceremony of this forum featured an address by NEAR Secretary-General Lim Byung-jin, a welcome speech by Governor Lee Cheol-woo of Gyeongsangbuk-do, and congratulatory remarks by Park Sung-man, Speaker of the Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Assembly, Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev of Russia to South Korea, Consul General Chen Ribiao of China in Busan, and Consul General Aslan Askar of Kazakhstan in Busan.
Governor Lee Cheol-woo, whose province fully supports the NEAR Secretariat's operating costs, noted that "NEAR has played a central role in multilateral cooperation among Northeast Asian local governments for the past 29 years." He added, "International cooperation among local governments is essential, along with inter-state cooperation, to resolve various global issues such as climate change and AI," and affirmed, "Gyeongsangbuk-do will continue to support NEAR's development."
Park Sung-man emphasized that "Northeast Asia is a region with the world's most dynamic growth potential, yet one where complex challenges coexist," highlighting the importance of "countries sharing experiences and seeking paths to coexistence, especially at a time like this."
Ambassador Zinoviev of Russia, Consul General Chen Ribiao of China, and Consul General Aslan Askar of Kazakhstan highly praised NEAR in their congratulatory remarks, stating that "NEAR has established itself as a robust multilateral cooperation platform that builds trust among regional governments and drives Northeast Asian development over the past 29 years," and emphasized the importance of cooperation among local governments through the NEAR platform, wishing for the forum's success and the joint prosperity of Northeast Asia."
Following the opening ceremony, the Regional Council Session commenced, during which representatives from each country's legislative assembly introduced their composition, roles, main activities, and status of external exchanges, while discussing ways to enhance mutual understanding and future cooperation.
From China, Zhang Qin, Chairman of the General Office of the Standing Committee of the Gansu Provincial People's Congress; Shi Peiwei, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Shandong Provincial People's Congress; and Hao Mingsheng, Deputy Secretary-General of the General Office of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Political Consultative Conference, presented the current status, the structure, and the primary roles of their assemblies.
From Japan, Aharen Takao, Director of the Peace and Regional Diplomacy Promotion Division, Governor's Office, Okinawa Prefecture, introduced the prefectural council structure and shared the philosophy of regional diplomacy.
From South Korea, Choi Byung-joon, Vice Speaker of the Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Assembly, explained the composition of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Assembly and the status of its international exchange initiatives, proposing, "Let us strengthen exchange and cooperation among local legislative assemblies through the NEAR platform."
From Mongolia, Erdene Urnukh, Speaker of the Umnugovi Aimag Assembly, introduced the Ulaanbaatar City Council and the Umnugovi Aimag Assembly, emphasizing international exchange and cooperation at the legislative level. Tsende-Ayoosh, a member of the Khuvsgul Aimag Assembly, also presented on the structure and activities of the Khuvsgul Aimag council.
From Russia, Vedernikov Aleksandr, Speaker of the Irkutsk Oblast Legislative Assembly, and Mantatova Tatyana, Vice Speaker of the Republic of Buryatia People's Khural, shared examples of legislative operations in their respective regions. They highlighted the importance of youth exchange and legislative diplomacy, stressing the need for future collaboration.
From Kazakhstan, Maulemova Botagoz, Section Chief of the Tourism Department of Turkestan Region, introduced the region's rich tourism resources and expressed her commitment to expanding cooperation in the tourism sector.
To enhance the utility of the NEAR platform, the NEAR Secretariat organized both multilateral exchanges among regional councils and one- on-on, bilateral meetings during the forum.
The Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Council held bilateral exchanges with the Irkutsk region Legislative Council (Russia), the Republic of Buryatia People's Khural (Russia), the Gansu Provincial People's Congress (China), and Umnugovi Aimag (Mongolia).
The Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Council engaged in exchanges with the Shandong Provincial People's Congress (China) and the Bulgan Aimag Council (Mongolia). Furthermore, the Irkutsk Region Legislative Council (Russia) engaged in a bilateral exchange with the Umnugovi Aimag Council (Mongolia). In total, seven one-on-one bilateral exchanges provided valuable opportunities to discuss mutual interests and explore future directions for exchange and cooperation.
Lim Byung-jin, Secretary-General of NEAR, who oversaw the event, stated, "NEAR's international standing and influence are growing as its membership continues to expand and its platform becomes more active, garnering recognition for its utility from member governments." He emphasized the significance to the forum, adding, "This first multilateral forum for local legislative assemblies held at the NEAR level will serve as an opportunity to further expand the scope of cooperation within the NEAR platform."
The delegations from each country attending the forum also took time to appreciate and enjoy the history and beauty of Gyeongju, the host city of APEC, visiting Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond and the Expo Park. They then visited Pohang City, home of the NEAR Secretariat, where they toured POSCO, a symbol of Korean industrialization, and the Skywalk, a popular marine tourism attraction.
