Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Hong Kyun met with Mr. Sven Koopmans, European Union Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process, on April 1. The two sides exchanged views on the situation in the Gaza Strip and an initiative for peacebuilding in the Middle East.

  ※ The EU established the mandate of the Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process in 1996 and appointed Mr. Sven Koopmans to the post in September 2021, assigning him the task of addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the two-state solution in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolution 2334 adopted in 2016.

Vice Minister Kim expressed his deep concern over the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, welcomed the UN Security Council’s recent adoption of a resolution demanding a ceasefire, and hoped that this resolution would lead to a ceasefire agreement and the release of all hostages at the earliest time.

Special Representative Koopmans explained the EU’s endeavors for peace in the Middle East, including the “Peace Day Effort*” initiative, and asked for the Korean government’s attention to and support for these endeavors.

* The EU held “Peace Day Effort” as a side event on September 18, 2023, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session to address conflicts between parties involved in Israeli-Palestinian issues.

In response, Vice Minister Kim appreciated the EU’s timely efforts to build peace in the Middle East and stressed that the Korean government, as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, will also work actively for peace in the Middle East.