President Moon Jae-in met with Princess Astrid of Belgium at the main building of Cheong Wa Dae for 40 minutes from four o’clock this afternoon.

Princess Astrid, who was leading a delegation of 250 Belgian business leaders to Korea, began by congratulating President Moon on his inauguration and wishing him a successful presidency.

Mentioning similar conditions between the two countries, the Princess pinpointed several factors as reasons for her visit—the well functioning geographical hub of transportation, the sufficient and well-built infrastructure, the advanced service industry, the export-driven economic structure and the excellent workforce.

President Moon echoed her view and gave an explanation about Korea-Belgium relations that started in 1901 with the establishment of diplomatic ties and have been steadily strengthening.

President Moon mentioned the upcoming anniversary of the Korean War, which falls on June 25, and expressed his appreciation to Princess Astrid for the fact that Belgium sent troops. Noting that trade between the two countries has been on the rise since the conclusion of the Korea-European Union FTA, the President expressed the hope that the two nations would be able to further enhance their respective strengths in such areas as chemistry, pharmaceuticals and information and communications technology.

The President said that what was needed for the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue was not just sanctions and pressure pursued within the framework of international cooperation but also dialogue. Speaking of his understanding that Belgium had played a leading role in promoting the European integration in the initial stages, the President said that the experiences of the European Union (EU) would serve as a great lesson for Korea. The President added that, for this very reason, he had sent an emissary to the EU for the first time ever as soon as he was sworn in.

Noting that Princess Astrid was a member of the Honorary Board of the International Paralympic Committee, President Moon expressed the hope that she would be able to visit Korea during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to be held next February.

Princess Astrid replied that participating in the activities for the anti-personnel mine ban led her to become a member of the Honorary Board. The President also showed interest in the issue, saying anti-personnel mine problems would surface when peace settles on the Korean Peninsula. 

During the 40-minute long meeting, President Moon and Princess Astrid had discussions in a very amicable mood.