Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, right, poses with his Singaporean counterpart, Vivian Balakrishnan, in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Thursday asked for Singapore's support in creating conditions conducive to dialogue with North Korea during his meeting with his Singaporean counterpart, Vivian Balakrishnan, Seoul's foreign ministry said.
Balakrishnan is visiting Seoul following his trips to China and North Korea that began Sunday. It marked his first visit to South Korea since taking office in 2015 and the first visit by a Singaporean foreign minister to South Korea since 2007.
During the meeting, Cho heard about Balakrishnan's visit to North Korea and called for interest and support from Singapore and other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member nations in helping create an environment for dialogue with North Korea.
He also explained South Korea's policy and efforts aimed at achieving peaceful coexistence with the North on the peninsula.
Balakrishnan stressed the need for South Korea and Singapore to maintain close communication to promote peace and stability on the peninsula, the ministry said.
While in North Korea, Balakrishnan met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, where the two sides discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations and deepen cooperation in "multiple areas," as well as "regional and international matters," according to state media.
Singapore has maintained cordial relations with North Korea and hosted the first summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2018.
Cho and Balakrishnan also shared their assessments of the recent situation in the Middle East and agreed that regional peace and the freedom of navigation along the Strait of Hormuz are important to the security and economies of both countries as trade-dependent nations, according to the ministry.
"Balakrishnan expressed hope that the two countries will further expand and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various areas, including trade, investment, advanced technologies and new growth industries," the ministry said in a release.
Source: Korea Times News
