[December 12, 2024] Seoul City Councilor Ai Sulu Attends 'Policy Briefing for Diplomats from South Asia, Central Asia, and Middle East'

Hosted by Seoul's Global City Policy Officer and International Cooperation Officer; Briefing on international cooperation projects

Invites diplomats from 7 Middle Eastern countries, 4 Central Asian countries, 2 South Asian countries to activate exchanges and cooperation

"Through continuous exchanges between South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East in Seoul's international cooperation projects, we seek ways to activate international cooperation and expect strengthened future cooperation."

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Seoul City Councilor Ai Sulu attending the 'Policy Briefing for Diplomats from South Asia, Central Asia, and Middle East' held on the 11th.

Seoul City Councilor Ai Sulu (Deputy Chair of the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee, Democratic Party of Korea, Proportional Representative) attended and graced the 'Policy Briefing for Diplomats from South Asia, Central Asia, and Middle East,' held on the 11th at Garam Hall on the 10th floor of the Four Seasons Hotel in the Saemunan-ro area of Jongno-gu.

This event, hosted by the newly established Global City Policy Officer and International Cooperation Officer in July this year, featured a cultural performance, a welcome address by the International Development Cooperation Agency Director, opening remarks by the International Cooperation Officer, and congratulatory remarks by Councilor Ai Sulu, followed by an introduction to the organization's structure and projects, and a Q&A session, lasting over two hours.

The briefing invited diplomats from 13 embassies in Korea representing 7 Middle Eastern countries including Iraq and Saudi Arabia, 4 Central Asian countries including Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan, and 2 South Asian countries including Sri Lanka and Pakistan out of 23 countries in South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East. The Seoul Urban Solutions Agency (SUSA), a partner organization of the Global City Policy Officer's International Cooperation Officer, also participated to explore ways to activate development cooperation projects.​

Councilor Ai Sulu, Deputy Chair of the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee, stated in her remarks, "I consider it meaningful to participate in the 2024 Policy Briefing for Diplomats from South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East hosted by the Seoul Global City Policy Officer's International Cooperation Officer." She added, "I hope this becomes an opportunity to explore ways to activate development cooperation projects between Seoul and the invited regions, open new possibilities between our countries through exchanges, and strengthen international cooperation going forward."

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Councilor Ai Sulu delivering remarks at the 'Policy Briefing for Diplomats from South Asia, Central Asia, and Middle East' on the 11th.

Following Councilor Ai Sulu's remarks, the International Cooperation Officer introduced the organization and projects, highlighting goals such as jointly solving global urban problems, advancing multilateral cooperation partnerships, and elevating the brand status of attractive Seoul. This included ongoing initiatives like the Seoul ODA Challenge, support for private international development cooperation, and regional exchanges with sister and friendly cities.

Seoul highlighted three stages of projects led by the International Development Cooperation Agency: ▲MAKING (identifying best policies and assessing overseas city needs), ▲SHARING (sharing and promoting policies), ▲SOLVING (implementing cooperation projects), which share Seoul's urban development experience and policies to propose solutions to global urban problems and support private companies' overseas expansion.​

Introducing the 'Seoul ODA Challenge' as a cooperation project, Seoul noted that despite being its inaugural year, it received applications from 95 cities in 31 countries, underscoring its popularity. It highlighted the three finally selected countries for private international development cooperation—Peru's Lima, Cambodia's Phnom Penh, and Sri Lanka's Colombo—and shared details of the 2024 projects.

The briefing also covered the cooperation process of the Seoul International Development Cooperation Agency (SUSA), established under the Seoul Housing Corporation, a public corporation under Seoul City dedicated to overseas expansion of best policies. It shared diverse processes collaborating with public institutions, private companies, and financial institutions to provide solutions for numerous overseas urban problems.​

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Councilor Ai Sulu attending the 'Policy Briefing for Diplomats from South Asia, Central Asia, and Middle East' held on the 11th at Garam Hall on the 10th floor of the Four Seasons Hotel in the Saemunan-ro area of Jongno-gu.

Finally, Councilor Ai Sulu remarked, "Seoul has reached its current state through rapid development since the 1950s after the Korean War," adding, "I am pleased to share Seoul's growth experience with friendly and sister cities worldwide and help mutual development."

She further stated, "I expect Seoul, as a model city possessing excellent urban development policies, to further strengthen cooperation systems between countries worldwide for mutual co-growth."

Media Outlet: Online News Team (go.seoul.co.kr) (https://go.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20241212500030)

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