Reliable Korea-Australia energy supply vital amid 'disproportionate' Middle East impact: Australian FM
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong answers reporter's question during a press conference in Seoul, Thursday. AP-Yonhap
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Thursday called for stronger energy security cooperation with Korea amid the uneven impact of the ongoing Middle East crisis on the Asia-Pacific region, saying the two countries should continue to serve as reliable energy suppliers for each other.
Wong made the remarks during a meeting with reporters in Seoul, where she held talks with her South Korean counterpart, Cho Hyun, and separately with Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan to discuss joint responses to global supply disruptions caused by the Middle East conflict.
"The impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the conflict in the Middle East is being felt by people across this region disproportionately," Wong said. "The best way to manage this is to ensure we work together to provide each other with reliable supplies of energy and to manage the disruption."