Minister Lee In-young Tours Europe to Attend 'German Unification' Event... Requests EU Support and Cooperation

Minister of Unification Lee In-young is delivering a keynote speech at the 322nd Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Promotion Council held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 24th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The Ministry of Unification announced on the 27th that Minister Lee In-young will visit Belgium, Sweden, and Germany from the 29th of this month to the 4th of next month.

This trip is to attend the 31st anniversary event of German reunification and to enhance cooperation with major European countries. On the 30th, Minister Lee will hold bilateral meetings with Jutta Urpilainen, European Union (EU) Commissioner for International Partnerships, and Janusz Lenarcic, Commissioner for Crisis Management.

He will also meet with members of the EU Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee and the Korea delegation to request the EU's active support and cooperation for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, peacebuilding, and the creation of a dialogue environment.

On the 1st of next month, he will visit Sweden to hold a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Ann Linde and meet with senior officials in foreign and security affairs from the Swedish government and parliament.

On the 2nd, he will give a special lecture on the Korean Peninsula peace process at the Free University of Berlin and hold a meeting with local Korean residents. On the 3rd, he will attend the '31st Anniversary of German Reunification' event held in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, as the only high-level foreign government envoy.

On the 4th, he will pay a courtesy visit to German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and request the German government's active support and cooperation regarding the experience of German reunification, the development of inter-Korean relations, and progress in the Korean Peninsula peace process.

The Ministry of Unification stated, "Through this visit, we expect to contribute to raising international consensus within European society, including the EU, governments, and experts, to lead support and cooperation for the Korean Peninsula peace process."