FM Chung to attend G7 ministerial talks in London next week

SEOUL, April 29 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong will attend an in-person Group of Seven (G7) ministerial meeting in Britain next week to discuss access to COVID-19 vaccines, climate change and other global issues, a ministry official said Thursday.

The first face-to-face gathering of G7 foreign and development ministers in over two years is set to take place in London from Monday to Wednesday. Though not party to the group, South Korea, Australia, India, South Africa and Brunei, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, have been invited as guests.

The agenda for the meeting includes joint efforts to ensure equitable access to vaccines, recover from the pandemic, support girls' education in underdeveloped countries and tackle climate change, the official said.

On the sidelines of the session, Chung is expected to conduct diplomacy to secure international cooperation in addressing safety concerns over Japan's planned discharge of radioactive water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.

"Our basic stance is that we will continue to carry out diplomatic activities related to the Fukushima plant water issue in a possible context whether that's bilateral or multilateral," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

The ministerial session is part of preparations for the G7 summit scheduled to take place in the seaside resort of Carbis Bay in Cornwall from June 11-13. President Moon Jae-in plans to attend the summit.

sshluck@yna.co.kr
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