Lithuanian formin off to South Korea for official visit

VILNIUS - Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has left for an oficial visit to South Korea where he is scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Park Jin, Trade Minister Dukgyun Ahn, locals MPs and representatives of Korean think tanks.

Moreover, Landsbergis will also meet with executives of Samsung Display, SK Group and nSage, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

The meetings will focus on bilateral relations, ways to promote bilateral political dialogue, attract Korean investments, and step up cooperation in the areas of trade, economics, high-tech and science.

In Seoul, Landsbergis will also discuss support for Ukraine, the consequences of the Russian-led war for regional and global security, the security challenges posed by North Korea, bilateral cooperation at the United Nations, the processes taking place in the Indo-Pacific, as well as the forthcoming NATO summit in Vilnius.

The Republic of Korea is a strategically important country for Lithuania in the Indo-Pacific region, the Foreign Ministry points out. As Lithuania diversified its supply chains in the advanced and stable markets of Asia and Oceania, trade between Lithuania and Korea grew by 39 percent in 2021 and rose by 26 percent in January-October, 2022, compared to the same period the year before.

In 2021, Lithuania and Korea marked the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, and the Lithuanian Embassy was opened in Seoul the same year. Lithuania also wants South Korea to open an embassy and trade representative office in Vilnius.