South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul (R) shakes hands with Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly during their talks in Fiuggi, Italy, on Nov. 26, 2024, on the sidelines of the foreign ministers’ gathering of the Group of Seven advanced nations, in this photo provided by Seoul’s foreign ministry. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — The top diplomats of South Korea, Canada, France and Italy have voiced concerns over the threat posed by North Korea’s troop deployment to fight for Russia in its war with Ukraine, pledging to work together for a concerted response, Seoul’s foreign ministry said Wednesday.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and his Canadian, French and Italian counterparts made the point during Cho’s separate talks with them on the sidelines of the foreign ministers’ gathering of the Group of Seven advanced nations in Fiuggi, Italy, according to the ministry.
South Korea and the United States said that North Korea has sent more than 10,000 soldiers to Russia in support of its war against Ukraine, and some of them have already entered combat in Russia’s western Kursk border region.
In a meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly the previous day, Cho shared the latest developments and concerns about the forces deployment. Cho explained his country’s plan to take “effective, phased” measures in response to the security threats posed by “illegal” Russia-North Korea military cooperation.
Joly pledged to continue working with South Korea, saying that properly addressing the issue is important for the security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific region.
In a separate meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Tuesday, both ministers expressed “serious concerns” about the grave threats posed by North Korea’s troop deployment and the military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang to the security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific region.
In separate talks on Tuesday, Cho and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also pledged joint efforts for a “united and stern” international response to the issues, the foreign ministry noted.
Cho and Tajani also appreciated the brisk trade and investment between their countries, with the Italian minister emphasizing the importance of partnership with South Korea in Italy’s expansion into Indo-Pacific markets.
(Yonhap)
