President Duda starts visit to South Korea
Polish President Andrzej Duda was welcomed by his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in at the presidential palace in Seoul on Thursday. The ceremony started Andrzej Duda's several-day working visit to the Asian country.
Next, President Duda will go to the City Hall where he will meet Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon.
The security of the Korean Peninsula, as well as global security, and tasks connected with Poland's membership of the UN Security Council will be in the focus of talks held by the Polish president in South Korea, PAP was told by Andrzej Duda's top aide, Krzysztof Szczerski.
President Duda and his wife, Agata Kornhauser-Duda, are paying a working visit to South Korea on Feb. 7-11.
According to Szczerski, the Polish president will also hold a meeting with representatives of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC), including the head of the Polish mission at NNSC.
Alongside the inaugural ceremony of the Pyeongchang Games, President Duda is expected to meet with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
"Plans for the first part of the visit envisage talks focusing on the situation on the Korean Peninsula with President Moon Jae-in, by whom President Duda had been invited to visit South Korea," Szczerski said.
Szczerski explained that these talks "will give the Polish president the opportunity of a deep analysis of the current state of security on the peninsula."
"This is connected with Poland's membership of the UN Security Council. Today, Korea is one of the hotbeds on the world map and these talks concerning the security of the Korean Peninsula and security on a global scale, will be the most important subjects of meetings held by President Duda in South Korea," Szczerski said.
"This will be a politically-sensitive visit, very important for Poland's position in the international arena, as being a UN Security Council member Poland also has particular responsibility for the condition of world peace," the Polish president's top aide added.
Stressing that President Duda has been invited to South Korea "at the start of Poland's UN Security Council membership," Szczerski said that this was very important and will be beneficial during the entire period.
On Friday, the president and his wife will take part in the inauguration of the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, and in a meeting of the South Korean president with visiting by heads of state and government.
According to Szczerski, this will be an opportunity to hold "less formal bilateral meetings, which at the same time are more comfortable."
"A dozen or so presidents and state heads have already confirmed their participation in the inauguration of the Games," Szczerski went on to say.
On Saturday, the Polish presidential couple will visit the Olympic village, where they will meet with Polish sportspeople. (PAP)
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