The presidential special envoy to France, led by former Minister of Justice Kang Geumsil, met with Emmanuel Bonne, Chief Diplomatic Advisor to the French President, and delivered a personal letter from President Lee Jaemyung. As next year marks the 140th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic relations, the delegation conveyed the intention to further deepen and advance the '21st-century comprehensive partnership' between the two countries.
President Kang Geumsil, Special Envoy to France, is taking a commemorative photo with Emmanuel Bonne, Chief Diplomatic Advisor to the French President, in Paris, France, on the 16th (local time). Ministry of Foreign Affairs
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 18, the delegation visited Paris, France for two days starting on the 16th, holding meetings with key political figures and local business leaders. The delegation was composed of former Minister Kang, as well as Democratic Party members Han Byungdo and Chun Junho.
During this visit, the delegation explained to the international community the significance of the recent Korean presidential election, as well as the new administration's philosophy of governance and its 'pragmatic' foreign policy. They also expressed hope for strengthened cooperation with the Group of Seven (G7), of which France will serve as chair next year.
Regarding North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations, the delegation stated that South Korea will respond firmly, but also seeks to resume inter-Korean dialogue and exchanges, and to open a path toward peace and coexistence on the Korean Peninsula. To this end, they emphasized that South Korea will continue close cooperation with France, which has consistently supported the Korean government's policies on peace and denuclearization of the peninsula.
Upon receiving President Lee's personal letter, Chief Advisor Bonne assessed the outcome of Korea's recent presidential election and conveyed President Emmanuel Macron's congratulatory message. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he expressed hope that, on the occasion of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year, the two countries would realize their strategic cooperation potential by strengthening bilateral relations, and that they would continue close communication to promote international stability and security at the G7 summit level. He also reaffirmed the French government's strong solidarity and support for the Korean government's policy on the Korean Peninsula.
On the second day of the visit, July 17, the delegation met separately with Loic Herve, Vice President of the Senate, and Sabrina Sebaihi, Chair of the France-Korea Parliamentary Friendship Association in the National Assembly, to discuss ways to expand inter-parliamentary exchanges between Korea and France. Vice President Herve and Chair Sebaihi agreed that, in addition to parliamentary exchanges, it is necessary to further expand cooperation between local governments, as well as economic and climate cooperation.
Meanwhile, the delegation also met with local business representatives to discuss ways to expand bilateral trade and investment. Participating companies, including Air Liquide, Airbus, Dassault, and LVMH, expressed hope for further exchanges in areas such as decarbonization, aerospace, and startups in the future.
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