FM Chung discusses bilateral, regional cooperation with Singaporean counterpart

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong spoke by phone with his Singaporean counterpart on Tuesday and discussed joint efforts to enhance bilateral and regional cooperation, his office said.

In the conversation, Chung and Vivian Balakrishnan noted that the two countries have maintained substantive cooperation in such areas as infrastructure and the digital economy, the ministry said in a release.

In that vein, the ministers held out hopes that the suspended expedited entry system agreed upon between the two sides in exception to coronavirus quarantining could resume at an early date.

Chung also asked for Singapore's close cooperation in South Korea's push for its New Southern Policy regional initiative involving Southeast Asian partners.

In the phone talks, Chung addressed concerns over Japan's decision to release the radioactive water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant and the potential risks to people and the surrounding environment.

On Myanmar, the two sides shared concerns over the rising casualties due to the military's violent crackdown on civilian protesters and reaffirmed support for efforts by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to resolve the issue through peaceful means.

Chung also explained Seoul's Korean Peninsula peace efforts, and Balakrishnan said Singapore supports such efforts, wishing for the resumption of inter-Korean communication, the ministry said. (Yonhap)