29-08-2024
Minister G. Skaistė in Seoul: "Lithuania and South Korea are connected not only by economic ties, but also by the same security threats"
At the meeting with the 1st Vice-Minister of Economy and Finance Kim Beomseok, Minister of Finance Gintarė Skaistė noted that Lithuania and South Korea are connected not only by trade ties or attitudes towards the importance of high technology for the growth of the entire economy, but also by similar security threats due to the neighbouring autocratic regimes that pose a threat to international security.
“russia’s military cooperation with North Korea shows that autocratic regimes are joining together and supporting each other. Therefore, cooperation between democracies is crucial to counteract the latter’s efforts to destabilise geopolitical relations in both our and Asian regions,” Minister of Finance G. Skaistė said.
At the meeting, G. Skaistė noted that in this context, sanctions limiting the latter's freedom of action play a particularly important role in reducing the powers of regimes. Lithuania and the European Union have imposed a wide range of sanctions on both Russia and North Korea. Lithuania has consistently proposed extending sanctions against Russia to include the energy sector, trade and, in particular, dual-use goods.
The Minister also noted that Lithuania is interested in further expanding economic cooperation with South Korea, which started three years ago, especially in high-tech areas with great potential, such as laser manufacturing.