Chung Kwang-yong, right center, director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' African and Middle Eastern Affairs Bureau, meets with ambassadors from the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain — at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul, Wednesday, to discuss escalating tensions in the Middle East at the request of the GCC diplomatic corps in Korea. Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Korea expressed concern over escalating tensions in the Middle East during a meeting with ambassadors from the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.
Officials from the ministry met with ambassadors representing Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain in Seoul to discuss the deteriorating security situation in the region and its broader implications.
During the meeting, Chung Kwang-yong, director-general for African and Middle Eastern affairs at the ministry, voiced “serious concern” over the rapidly escalating tensions and the expanding scale of damage in the region.
Chung also expressed regret over the increasing number of civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure, saying Seoul hopes that such harm will not continue.
He praised GCC countries for their diplomatic efforts aimed at maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East, stressing the importance of restoring stability as soon as possible.
Chung noted that the current situation could have negative repercussions on the global economy, energy supply chains and international transportation, underscoring the need for swift efforts to de-escalate tensions.
Members of the GCC diplomatic corps in Seoul shared updates on the regional security situation and the damage caused by attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.
They also asked for continued attention and support from Korea regarding developments in the region, the ministry said.
Source: Korea Times News
