Foreign minister discusses supply chain cooperation with Brazil, Mexico counterparts amid Mideast crisis
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun arrives for a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, March 31. Yonhap
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun spoke by phone with his counterparts of Brazil and Mexico this week to discuss cooperation in supply chains amid the Middle East crisis, the foreign ministry said Thursday.
In the phone call Wednesday with Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, Cho explained Seoul's efforts to secure alternative energy supply routes for crude oil and other resources, which the country imports heavily from the Middle East, the ministry said in a release.
The ministers also discussed follow-up steps to implement the outcomes of the summit between President Lee Jae Myung and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in February.
The two sides agreed to continue high-level exchanges, working together on supply chains and global issues, including those related to the Korean Peninsula, the ministry added.
Cho then spoke with new Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco on Thursday and requested Mexico's cooperation in ensuring a stable supply of crude oil for Korean companies. Mexico is a key oil producer in Latin America.
Cho called for the need to accelerate efforts in strengthening the economic partnership with Mexico, such as by resuming negotiations on their bilateral free trade agreement. The two sides agreed to bolster cooperation in artificial intelligence, space and other advanced technologies.