[By NBC-1TV H. J Yook]The G20 Seoul Speakers’ Consultation continued with its third session on “strategies for inter-parliamentary collaboration for world peace and anti-terrorism,” starting at 2pm and lasting for one hour and twenty minutes.
This special session was chaired by Brazil’s Speaker Maia, with the following presenters: Tadashi Hirono of Japan, Speaker Harry Jenkins of Australia, and Vannino Chiti of Italy.
The issues at discussion were strengthening global response to threats of terrorism and the need for stronger measures, global cooperation and call to collect capacities, and efforts of each parliament to legislate measures and strategies against terrorism.
The first presenter, Tadashi Hirono, expressed gratitude to Korea and other nations for their help during the recent earthquake in Fukushima and the following accidents in the nuclear plants. Hirono argued that such accidents with comprehensive consequences require disclosure of accurate information and regulations of safety.
The second presenter, Speaker Jenkins of Australia, offer practical measures that could be taken to eradicate terrorism. He proposed that parliaments around the world gather information about terrorists, share them with other parliaments, and take measures against terrorism accordingly. Jenkins also introduced the discussions that took place within the parliament and intelligence agencies in Australia, emphasizing the importance of information exchange within and among countries when it comes to anti-terrorism policies.
Vaccino Chiti, the vice president of the Senate of Italy, stressed the role of parliaments in devising policies to fight against terrorism, and urged world’s parliaments to take a lead in guaranteeing the two most basic human rights, democracy and justice.
Bilateral Talks
Meanwhile, Speaker Park Hee-tae held bilateral talks with Jiang Shusheng, the Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China. Speaker Park remarked that “Korea and China has a firm, unbreakable tie, and long gone are the days when diplomacy between the two countries was severed.” Park expressed his view that “the actions taken by the Korean Justice Ministry when a Chinese commercial airplane was hijacked in 1983 opened the way for the two countries to formally establish ties.”
Shusheng stated that “the 20th anniversary of the formal establishment of ties between the two countries next year will be a new starting point for the two countries,” adding that “the relations between Korea and China achieved great accomplishments in various areas in merely two decades.”
Shusheng also remarked “the people-to-people exchange between the two countries is also becoming active. The Chinese embassy in Korea is one of the biggest agencies in the world to issue visas.” Shusheng expressed his wish that “people-to-people exchange between the two countries would be strengthened further,” adding that “exchange between youth is particularly important.”
The bilateral talks was joined by assembly members Kim Moo Sung (Grand National Party), Kim Hee-chull (Democratic Party), Lee Sung Nam (Democratic Party), Secretary General Kwon Oh-eul, and also joined by Zhu Wenquan, Zhang Shoqin, Lu Wei, and Bai Suning (Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of Jiangsu Provincial people’s Congress of China).
Speaker Park Hee-tae continued the series of bilateral talks with Speaker Abdelaziz Ziari of Algeria and said “the efforts to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries will be carried out not only through capital, but also through exchange between parliamentary members.”
Speaker Ziari remarked “Since the two countries have maintained its tie for over twenty years, there is no doubt that exchange between Korea and Algeria will increase in the future.” He added “The relations between the two countries are only at the beginning stage in every aspect, so I hope Korean companies will participate more actively in the future.”
The talks were joined by assembly members Lee Sung Nam and Kim Hee-chull, and also by Hocine Sahraoui, the Ambassador of Algeria to Korea.
Speaker Park also held bilateral talks with the Vice President of the European Parliament, Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou. Park expressed his hopes that “the bilateral relations will develop further with the signing of the Korea- EU FTA,” asking Vice President Kratsa for her cooperation.
Kratsa expressed her wishes that “the relations between the European Union and Korea will deepen in the future” and that “the signing of the Korea-EU FTA will provide a solid foundation for the development of both parties.”
Kratsa also remarked that “the Korean culture was very touching, and it was an honor to see the traditional Korean dance during yesterday’s dinner and to hear traditional music today.”
The bilateral talks with the European Union were joined by national assembly members Park Jong-Keun and Lee Doo Ah.