S. Korean foreign minister to attend forum on Pakistan

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, April 9 (Yonhap) --- South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan will
attend an international donors conference on Pakistan to be held in Tokyo next
week amid the country's rising geopolitical significance, a ministry official
said Thursday.
"The government initially considered sending a deputy minister-level official to
the conference on April 17. But Minister Yu has decided to attend personally in
consideration of Pakistan's importance in the war against terrorism," the
official said on condition of anonymity.
The U.S. administration of President Barack Obama is seeking to win support from
Pakistan, which borders Afghanistan, in its troubled counter-terrorism campaign.
High-level officials from the U.S. and about 20 other nations are expected to
attend the event, which will be co-hosted by the Japanese government and the
World Bank, for discussions on ways to help Pakistan fight terrorism and overcome
its economic difficulties, the official said.
The U.S. will be represented by Richard Holbrooke, special envoy to Afghanistan
and Pakistan, he added.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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