1. The first meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the Korea-Pacific Islands Summit, which is to be held in the Republic of Korea next year, took place at 15:00-16:00, December 21, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to seek ways to ensure a successful holding of the Summit.

° The Committee is led by the Foreign Minister and composed of vice ministerial- and other senior-level officials from 19 relevant government agencies and organizations.

2. In his opening remarks, Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin highlighted the importance of the Pacific islands as key cooperation partners for the Indo-Pacific Strategy of Korea and also for Korea’s bid to host the World Expo 2030 in Busan. The Foreign Minister expected the first-ever Summit between the Republic of Korea and the Pacific islands to open up new horizons for Korea’s diplomacy by dramatically upgrading relations with island countries that share the Pacific Ocean with Korea.

° Foreign Minister Park further laid emphasis on expanding the nexus between Korea’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and the needs of Pacific island countries demonstrated in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. He went on to ask the relevant government agencies and organizations to cooperate in order to deliver substantial outcomes in the areas of development cooperation, climate change, maritime affairs and fisheries, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

3. In the first meeting of the Preparatory Committee, participants discussed preparation plans for the Summit and ways for interagency cooperation, and decided to make every effort to draw up deliverables and organize special events.

4. The Korea-Pacific Islands Summit is expected to serve as an opportunity for Korea, as a global pivotal state, to enhance its engagement in the Pacific islands region, whose strategic importance is growing in terms of diplomacy, security and economy, and thereby to contribute to the actual implementation of the Indo-Pacific Strategy.