Seoul to house secretariat for regional cooperation body

SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea, Japan and China have agreed to establish a
permanent secretariat for three-way cooperation in Seoul, an organization that
could eventually lead to the formation of a regional community in East Asia,
Seoul's Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Yong-joon said Tuesday.

The agreement came at a three-way meeting between Lee and his Chinese counterpart
Hu Zhengye and Japanese counterpart Sasae Kenichiro in Beijing.
"We have tentatively agreed to set up a secretariat for trilateral cooperation
between South Korea, Japan and China in Seoul," Lee told reporters, adding the
final decision will be announced when the countries' leaders meet later in the
year for a three-way summit.
The summit, the fourth of its kind, will be held before the end of June, the
deputy foreign minister said.
"This secretariat will be a very important catalyst for the establishment of a
regional community in East Asia," he said.
Lee said the establishment of the office in Seoul could also be an important
opportunity for the country to play a leading role in the formation of a regional
community with the two largest economies in East Asia.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)

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