Atlanta, Oct 31 (IANS) South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met representatives of Korean companies operating in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee during his visit to Atlanta for the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, promising more government support for their investments in the United States, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said.
The meeting on Thursday brought together business leaders from the states covered by the Korean Consulate General in Atlanta, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press statement.
Cho stressed that Korean businesspeople were the most important players in realising the government’s diplomatic vision of an “irreplaceable Republic of Korea”, and said the Ministry and diplomatic missions would keep strengthening support for business activity, according to the statement.
The company representatives thanked the government and missions for protecting Korean nationals abroad.
To support their investment in the US, they asked for stable support for travel to the United States, a response to US tariff policies, including steel tariffs, close ties with state governments and Congress, and better communication with the missions, the Ministry said.
Cho said the government would continue to support smooth US visits by Korean investors and would use its network of missions to build close relations not only with the federal government but also with state governments and Congress, the statement added.
He urged companies to stay in regular contact with the missions if they faced difficulties.
The same day, Cho held talks with Indonesian Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir, their first meeting since Nasir took office on October 1, according to a separate Ministry statement.
“The two Ministers recalled that relations were upgraded to a “special comprehensive strategic partnership” during Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s State visit to South Korea in April, and discussed expanding cooperation in defence and the defence industry, trade and investment, energy and advanced technology,” the Ministry said.
Cho asked for continued Indonesian government support for Korean companies operating there.
They also discussed cooperation in ASEAN and other multilateral forums and exchanged views on the Korean Peninsula and regional situation, the statement said.
Cho is also scheduled to join the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi for the signing of a trilateral “Arctic Pacific Partnership” memorandum of cooperation.
–IANS
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