Prime Minister Han Duck-soo speaks during the Busan Expo Symposium 2023 in Paris on Oct. 9, 2023, in this photo provided by his office. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
PARIS/SEOUL, Oct. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Prime Minister Han Duck-soo held a symposium in Paris as part of his four-nation European trip, ramping up efforts to promote South Korea’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo in the southern city of Busan, his office said Tuesday.
After his arrival in Paris, Han participated in the Busan Expo Symposium 2023 on Monday (local time), coinciding with the 50-day mark before the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) selects the host city for the quinquennial global event, the office said.
The symposium brought together approximately 200 guests from both home and abroad, including prominent figures, such as SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, who heads the private sector committee for the World Expo bid, and BIE Secretary-General Dimitri S. Kerkentzes.
On Monday afternoon, Han held a meeting with his French counterpart, Elisabeth Borne, to discuss follow-up measures to a summit between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris in June, the office said.
During the meeting, the two sides emphasized the need for the international community to collaborate closely to address North Korea’s nuclear provocations.
Han plans to fly to Copenhagen on Tuesday (local time) to hold talks with his Danish counterpart, Mette Frederiksen, aimed at discussing the expansion of cooperation between the two countries.
The next leg of Han’s journey will take him to Zagreb, marking the first high-level official visit to Croatia. He will hold a meeting with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic to discuss cooperation in sectors such as defense and technology, according to the office.
From Thursday to Saturday, Han will make his official visit to Greece, where he is scheduled to hold a summit meeting with his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Han’s visit will mark the first official visit to Greece by South Korea’s prime minister in six years.
The BIE plans to select the host city for the World Expo in late November.
(Yonhap)
