Head of European security body to visit Seoul this week

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) -- The head of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will visit Seoul later this week for talks with
senior South Korean officials on ways to boost cooperation between the two sides,
the foreign ministry said Monday.
Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, secretary-general of the OSCE, is scheduled to arrive
here on Thursday for a two-day stay, during which he will meet with Foreign
Minster Yu Myung-hwan, Vice Foreign Minister Shin Kak-soo and Oh Joon, deputy
foreign minister for international organizations, global issues and treaties.
"They plan to exchange opinions on how to promote cooperation between South Korea
and the OSCE and on regional and global issues," ministry spokesman Moon
Tae-young said.
The meeting is expected to provide a chance for discussions on multilateral
security cooperation, Moon added, as the OSCE is trying to bolster ties with
non-OSCE members.
South Korea has been among the OSCE's "Asian Partners for Cooperation" since
1994, along with Japan, Thailand, Afghanistan and Mongolia.
The OSCE is the world's largest regional security organization with 56 formal
member states including the U.S., Russia, and Canada.
The former French diplomat is also scheduled to attend a forum of the
organization's Asian partners to be held in Tokyo on Wednesday and plans to visit
Australia after his trip to South Korea, officials said.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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