Seoul, April 14: South Korea will participate in a multilateral meeting organized by France and the United Kingdom. This meeting will focus on collaborative efforts to stabilize the Hormuz Strait.
According to a report from Yonhap News Agency, the upcoming virtual meeting on the situation in the Hormuz Strait is considered the next phase following a meeting of ministers from over 40 countries led by the United Kingdom earlier this month. That meeting discussed the critical maritime chokepoint where thousands of vessels and their crews are currently stranded.
South Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong will attend this online meeting, which will be co-chaired by the UK and France.
An official from the Foreign Ministry stated that the ongoing conflict has not yet ended, making it difficult to expedite negotiations at this time. He mentioned that the purpose of this meeting is to seek concrete measures to stabilize the Strait diplomatically and militarily once the conflict concludes.
According to the chair’s statement, participating countries had previously demanded the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz “unconditionally” after the last meeting held on April 2. They also discussed coordinated actions through the United Nations and other channels to pressure Iran, aiming to restore the free movement of vessels through this route.
The meeting will emphasize ensuring the safe release of ships and sailors stranded in the Hormuz Strait, restoring maritime traffic, and sharing timely and accurate information in coordination with shipping companies and industry organizations.
This meeting comes at a time when it is believed that Seoul has shared information regarding its vessels and crews stranded in the Strait with Tehran. This step aims to ensure the safe return of its citizens and ships during a two-week ceasefire period.
However, ongoing peace talks between the United States and Iran have not yet reached a solid agreement, leaving the situation uncertain. Additionally, the announcement by the United States to deploy its navy to blockade this maritime route has further complicated matters.
Previously, South Korea also participated in a meeting of top military officials led by France on March 26. Furthermore, it was involved in a separate meeting with military planners and other experts scheduled for next week.
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