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| North Atlantic Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly officials hold a meeting with members of the parliamentary defense committee at the National Assembly, Oct. 19. Yonhap |
National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo on Wednesday stressed the importance of parliamentary cooperation with NATO member countries in the face of growing global risks.
"On the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait in East Asia, and due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Europe, security risks are escalating and common global threats, like the pandemic and climate change, have emerged," Kim said during a luncheon with representatives of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, an inter-parliamentary organization consisting of 269 delegates from 30 NATO member countries.
"It is time to strengthen solidarity and cooperation among member and partner countries," Kim said, pledging to expand Korea's contribution to parliamentary cooperation as an observer country of the security alliance.
Kim stressed that Korea has worked to bolster cooperation with NATO in various areas since becoming its global partner in 2006. He also noted how President Yoon Suk-yeol became the first Korean president to attend a NATO summit in June.
Attending Wednesday's luncheon at the National Assembly were 18 officials from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, ruling People Power Party Reps. Cho Hae-jin, and Shin Won-sik, and main opposition Democratic Party Rep. Ahn Gyu-back. (Yonhap)
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