South Korean president advocates closer ties with Visegrád Group

MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Fischer Zoltán

Cooperation between the Visegrád Group and the Republic of Korea is gaining in intensity, and the political leaders of the five countries are committed to developing even closer ties, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in Budapest on Thursday.

With their open approach, the leaders of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia have demonstrated the strength of V4 cooperation, the president told a press conference after their summit meeting in the Hungarian capital.

Moon Jae-in highlighted plenty of similarities between the Visegrád region and South Korea, including rapid transition to democracy and dynamic economic development after the Cold War.

He praised smooth V4-Korea relations, adding that the region is an

important trading partner for South Korea and a major destination for Korean investors.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stressed the need of close cooperation, especially in the field of innovative technologies. He said the summiteers had also discussed the climate crisis and soaring energy prices.

Number of direct flights between Budapest and Seoul to rise

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis called South Korea a major trading partner for the Visegrad group. He said that developing ties with South Korea may help Europe to become more competitive in the global economy.

Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger said that partnership, cooperation and friendship between nations are especially important now that the world is facing major health, economic and energy challenges. South Korea and the V4 countries share plenty of values, including democracy, a free market and the rule of law, he said.