On Wednesday, December 17, NEAR Secretary-General Lim Byung-jin attended the “Korea–Russia Friendship Night” reception, held at the Grand Hall of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Korea, at the invitation of the Russian Embassy.
Secretary-General Lim conveyed his congratulations to H.E. Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Korea and expressed his appreciation for the Ambassador’s continued interest in and support for NEAR. He also requested the Ambassador’s continued attention and support.
The reception featured welcoming remarks by Ambassador Zinoviev, as well as congratulatory addresses by Mikhail Shvydkoy, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation; Sohn Kyung-shik, Chairman of the Korea Employers Federation; and Song Young-gil, Leader of the Sonamu Party.
In his welcoming remarks, Ambassador Zinoviev noted that Korea–Russia relations have been gradually improving. He expressed his gratitude for the support and assistance of those in attendance, which have contributed to this progress, and stated hopes that bilateral relations would be further strengthened in the coming year.
Secretary-General Lim held individual meetings with Mikhail Shvydkoy; Sohn Kyung-shik, Chairman and CEO of CJ Group; Lee Do-hoon, former Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Korea; Jang Ho-jin, former Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Russian Federation; and Ambassador Andrei Chernetsky of Belarus to the Republic of Korea. During these meetings, Secretary-General Lim introduced NEAR’s activities and requested their continued interest in and support for the organization.