South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held a series of bilateral meetings with the leaders of Canada, Vietnam and other nations Wednesday as he sought to expand cooperation and win support for South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan.
The meetings were held on the sidelines of annual summits involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta. The first meeting was with Prime Minister Mark Brown of the Cook Islands.
"The two leaders discussed bilateral cooperation in developing deepwater resources, and in the maritime and fisheries realm," the presidential office said in a press release.
It said Yoon explained South Korea's decision to boost official development assistance for Pacific island nations and increase the size of a South Korea-Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) cooperation fund to strengthen solidarity and cooperation for addressing regional challenges, including climate change, the food crisis and the digital gap.
The PIF is an intergovernmental body aimed at enhancing cooperation among 18 island countries in the region.
Yoon and Brown agreed to continue communication for a successful summit of the PIF and its dialogue partners, which will be hosted by the Cook Islands in November.
Yoon also asked for the Cook Islands' support for South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan.
In his meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Yoon thanked the Canadian government for its preferential tax treatment for South Korean businesses in Canada's electric vehicle battery sector.
Trudeau said the investment by South Korean companies was encouraging and proposed working together to further strengthen the bilateral trade relationship, according to Yoon's office.
Yoon held a separate meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar bin Ibrahim and discussed the two countries' cooperation in exporting South Korean FA-50 fighter jets and halal beef to Malaysia, among other areas.
With Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Yoon called for fully developing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership the two sides agreed to establish during his state visit to Vietnam in June, while emphasizing the importance of creating a business-friendly environment to boost bilateral trade, his office said.
Source: Yonhap News Agency