BRUSSELS — On the margins of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) foreign ministers' meeting, South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul convened with his Italian and Turkish counterparts to discuss bilateral cooperation and issues surrounding North Korea. Cho's office reported that during his meeting with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Wednesday, discussions focused on cooperation in Africa's development and artificial intelligence (AI), aligning with key agendas for the Group of Seven (G7) summit this year, over which Italy holds the rotating presidency.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea is consulting with Italy regarding potential participation in the G7 summit scheduled for June in Apulia, despite not being invited to the upcoming G7 foreign ministers' meeting in mid-April. In a separate discussion with Turkey's Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, on Wednesday, the dialogue covered deepening trade and defense cooperation. Cho emphasized the need for close coordination with Italy and Turkey to address North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, highlighting concerns over North Korea's illegal military collaboration with Russia. Cho's trip to Belgium, aimed at attending the NATO meeting, underscores South Korea's engagement with NATO partners in the Indo-Pacific region. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg extended an invitation to South Korea among other Indo-Pacific nations for the NATO summit in July in Washington, indicating a broader dialogue on global security concerns.