Northeast Asian Local Government Association 30th Anniversary Forum… “Development into a joint problem-solving organization”

Increase from 29 members to 96… Expert Hoeni continues one-on-one exchanges

(Gyeongju = Yonhap News) Reporter Dae-seong Son = The Northeast Asian Local Government Association (NEAR), in which local governments from around the world, including Korea, China, Japan, Mongolia, Russia, and Kazakhstan, held an international forum commemorating its 30th anniversary at the Hilton Hotel in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk on the 12th.

This forum was prepared to look back on the achievements of exchange and cooperation between local governments that the Northeast Asia Local Government Association has promoted over the past 30 years and to seek directions for peace and development in Northeast Asia.

The forum was attended by Russia's Buryaty Republic President Tsdenov Alexei, chairman of the Northeast Asia Local Government Association, North Gyeongsang Province Governor Lee Cheol-woo, Russian Ambassador to Korea, Chinese Consul General in Busan, and local government officials from each country.

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasized in his keynote speech, "In the current situation where multilateralism and international cooperation between countries are weakening, even at the local government level, we must take the lead in implementing global tasks such as climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals."

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said in a keynote speech, "I believe that the small amount of trust that local government officials build in their respective regions will lead to great peace beyond borders."

In his welcoming speech, Governor Lee Cheol-woo said, "I am glad that the Northeast Asia Local Government Association has grown into a true multilateral cooperation platform between local governments encompassing not only Northeast Asia but also Central Asia and ASEAN through continuous expansion of its scope and activation of the platform."

The forum included expert meetings, local government meetings, the 15th Northeast Asia Local Government Association Economic and Humanities Exchange Subcommittee, and one-on-one exchanges with member government officials.

The Northeast Asia Local Government Association, with its secretariat in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, was launched in 1996 with 29 member governments from 4 countries and has grown into a multilateral cooperation organization with 96 local governments from 10 countries participating.

Lim Byeong-jin, Secretary General of the Northeast Asia Local Government Association, said, "We will strive to develop the Northeast Asia Local Government Association into a platform that solves the common challenges of member governments and produces practical results."