Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will discuss the bilateral alliance, democracy and issues regarding the Korean Peninsula when they meet one-on-one in Seoul early next week, Cho's office said Thursday. Cho is scheduled to host a luncheon meeting for his American counterpart Monday, during which they will also hold bilateral talks, foreign ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said in a briefing. Blinken is expected to arrive in South Korea on Sunday to attend the ministerial segment of the Summit for Democracy, a U.S.-led multination gathering meant to promote solidarity and share values among democratic countries. "Discussion will take place on democratic cooperation between the two countries that share common values, such as freedom, human rights and the rule of law, and on ways to strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance, as well as issues of mutual interest, such as the situation on the Korean Peninsula and around the globe," Lim said. In a press briefing, State Dep artment spokesperson Matthew Miller said that during his stay in Seoul, Blinken will meet Cho and other South Korean officials to discuss a "broad" range of regional and global issues and underscore the "unwavering" strength of the bilateral alliance. The planned talks between Cho and Blinken come only weeks after they held their first bilateral in-person meeting in Washington since Cho took office in January. Commenting on the forthcoming Summit for Democracy, Miller said that it will demonstrate "how democracies continue to deliver for their citizens and organized to address the world's most pressing challenges." "In Seoul, Secretary Blinken will head the U.S. delegation to the third Summit for Democracy, hosted by the Republic of Korea, bringing together hundreds of leaders from governments, civil society, and the private sector committed to strengthening democratic governance, protecting human rights, and advancing the fight against corruption," Miller said in a statement released after the briefing. "The U.S. will also highlight progress made since the last Summit for Democracy to counter the proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware," he added. After his trip to Seoul, Blinken will travel to the Philippines for talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo on peace and stability in the South China Sea, economic prosperity, clean and renewable energy development, according to Miller. In the Philippines, Blinken is also expected to engage in trilateral talks involving Japan, with the recent escalation of tensions in the South China Sea likely to top the agenda. Source: Yonhap News Agency
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