State Secretary Gabrič at the Jeju Forum and political consultations

State Secretary Melita Gabrič with Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Chung Byung-won | Author Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve
State Secretary Dr Melita Gabrič took part in the leading international forum in the Asia-Pacific region, which was held on the Jeju Island. During the panel discussion on the role of the in UN addressing the contemporary and future challenges, she emphasised the importance of upholding the principles of the UN Charter and multilateralism with the UN at its core. She reiterated firm support for the UN, which continues to serve its purpose as it celebrates its 80th anniversary. The Jeju Forum focuses on global issues such as peace, security and sustainable development. It collaborates with the Bled Strategic Forum, which is also celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
During her visit to the Republic of Korea, State Secretary Gabrič participated in political consultations with the Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Chung Byung-won. The Republic of Korea is one of Slovenia's most important partners in Asia, and both countries have opened resident embassies in each other's capitals. Despite their geographical distance, the two countries share the same values: democracy, peace, security and respect for human rights and the rule of law. The Republic of Korea is also an important partner of the Slovenian organisation ITF Enhancing Human Security. The EU and the Republic of Korea have established a strategic partnership in 2010. The Republic of Korea is also one of NATO's Indo-Pacific partners.
The consultations focused ways to further strengthen cooperation, particularly in the economy, within the UN Security Council, of which both countries are non-permanent members in the period 2024–2025, and in multilateral cooperation, including cooperation on science and research. Their discussions also covered cooperation between the EU and the Republic of Korea, an exchange of views on current regional and global issues, including Ukraine, and the security situation on the Korean Peninsula.