U.S., Korea building new paradigm of cooperation: Lippert

The top U.S. diplomat in Korea said Thursday that bilateral cooperation between Seoul and Washington is "enduring," adding that the two allies are building a "new paradigm of cooperation."

Mark Lippert, the U.S. ambassador, noted that cooperation on the so-called New Frontiers including space, cyber and health would bring benefits not just to bilateral ties but also to the Asia-Pacific region as a whole.

"We are working together to make a real difference in our bilateral relationship and in the global community. And a key feature of this cooperation is that it is enduring. It will survive. And it will thrive," he told a forum held in Seoul.

"We are transforming our alliance. Our two countries are building a new paradigm of cooperation," he added.

He emphasized the new frontiers of cooperation that U.S. President Barack Obama and Korean President Park Geun-hye agreed to work on together in a summit held in October last year.

They include such areas as space, cyber, health, energy and the environment.

Lippert said that those areas represent "critical" issues for the 21st century that cover both challenges and opportunities, which cannot be tackled or enjoyed by a single country. He said that it requires deep cooperation and collaboration.

"Our work on these issues not only brings benefits to our bilateral relationship, it helps the Asia-Pacific region and it promotes peace and prosperity throughout the world," he added.

He drew attention to the benefits that the U.S. and Korea could enjoy from cooperation in those areas, referring to the already strong mutual trust that exists between the two countries.

"We are able to capitalize on the deep foundation of trust, cooperation, and complex problem solving already at work within the relationship. In short, launching the new frontiers takes advantage of the strong momentum and bandwidth in the alliance," he said. (Yonhap)