Seoul, Oct 6 (IANS): South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik is set to depart on a four-nation trip to Europe on Tuesday to discuss economic and industrial cooperation.
Cho plans to visit Italy, Vatican City, Croatia and Greece over nine days on his first overseas trip since taking office in June.
In Italy, he is scheduled to meet with Lorenzo Fontana, president of the country’s Chamber of Deputies, and Gian Marco Centinaio, vice president of its Senate, on Wednesday to discuss expanding exchanges between the countries’ parliaments and supporting economic and industrial cooperation, Yonhap News Agency reported.
In Vatican City, he is scheduled to meet with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary of state of the Holy See, and Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik to convey the commitment of the National Assembly to support World Youth Day 2027, which South Korea will host.
Cho also plans to use the meetings to ask for the Vatican’s continued attention and support for peace on the Korean Peninsula and the resumption of dialogue between South and North Korea.
On the next leg of his trip, the speaker will travel to Croatia where he will hold a series of meetings with Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Friday.
The two sides are expected to discuss expanding cooperation in advanced technologies and the energy and defence industries.
From Croatia, Cho will visit Greece for talks with Greek President Constantine Tassoulas and President of the Hellenic Parliament Nikitas Kaklamanis on Monday.
Among the agenda items are cooperation in shipbuilding and shipping, electric cars and batteries, and in solar and wind energy.
In July, South Korea’s National Assembly held a ceremony commemorating the 78th anniversary of the proclamation of the country’s Constitution in 1948.
The ceremony, attended by hundreds of senior government officials, foreign diplomats and other guests, marked the first of its kind since the government redesignated Constitution Day as a public holiday after 18 years.
South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik called for opening a new era of transformation with a constitution that best protects citizens, signaling a push for a constitutional amendment.
“The old framework can no longer embrace today’s blind spots in human rights or social conflicts in the future,” Cho said in the congratulatory remarks.
“Let us open a new era of grand transformation with a ‘constitution for all’ that upholds the dignity of every citizen,” he said.
