Seoul, April 14 (IANS) South Korean foreign minister Cho Hyun said on Tuesday that the foreign ministry has dispatched envoys to Algeria and Libya and is seeking to send additional envoys to secure alternative supply routes amid the Middle East crisis.
Cho made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting after President Lee Jae Myung called on the government to explore supply chain alternatives as the United States’ war against Iran has choked off the crucial Strait of Hormuz and disrupted maritime traffic in the Middle East.
Cho said the ministry has sent director-general-level officials to Algeria and Libya and is seeking to dispatch a special envoy of the foreign minister to the Republic of the Congo.
“The ministry will actively pursue the dispatch of presidential envoys after consulting with relevant ministries, the Korea Petroleum Association and other stakeholders to contribute to the government’s efforts to secure alternative sources of supply,” Cho said.
Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik has also been dispatched to the Middle East as a special envoy, Yonhap news agency reported.
Cho said that Chung Byung-ha, the special envoy to Iran, has been in contact with senior Iranian officials in Tehran to discuss regional developments, the safety of South Korean nationals, vessels and crew and passage of ships.
Meanwhile, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung urged nations involved in the war in the Middle East to take a courageous step toward peace, with a fragile ceasefire deal between the United States and Iran hanging in the balance and threatening the global economy.
Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Lee asked “the warring parties to take a courageous step toward peace that the world desperately wants based on the principles of the protection of universal human rights and lessons from history.”
With the war in the Middle East entering its seventh week, Lee also called on the government to explore alternative supply chains and pursue structural reforms to address vulnerabilities exposed by uncertainties stemming from the ongoing war.
“I want initiatives, such as exploring alternative supply chains, pursuing mid- to long-term industrial restructuring and realising a plastic-free economy, to be promoted as key national projects,” Lee said.
–IANS
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