Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

[On the sidelines of Seoul Defense Dialogue 2022]
Vice defense minister holds minilateral meeting with four Asia-Pacific partner countries (AP4)

Meeting held to discuss follow-up measures related to the meeting of AP4 leaders held on the sidelines of the NATO summit

On September 7, Vice Minister of National Defense Shin Beom-chul held a minilateral meeting with representatives from four Asia-Pacific partner countries (AP4*) who were visiting the Republic of Korea (ROK) to participate in the 11th Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD), at Lotte Hotel in Seoul.

* AP4 : Four major countries in the Asia-Pacific region among NATO’s global partner countries (ROK, Japan, Australia, New Zealand)

The minilateral meeting was attended by Japanese Vice Minister of Defense for International Affairs Masami Oka (岡 真臣), Australian Acting Director of Defense for International Policy Tom Menadue, and New Zealand Ambassador to the ROK Philip Turner.

The meeting was held to discuss follow-up measures stemming from the meeting of leaders of the four countries, the ROK, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand (AP4), held last June on the sidelines of the NATO summit in which President Yoon Suk Yeol participated, in order to maintain momentum in strengthening solidarity in the protection of values and norms.

During the meeting, representatives from each country exchanged opinions on the security situation in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Korean Peninsula, and in Ukraine, and shared the view that the strengthening of solidarity among AP4 countries is needed to establish a ‘rules-based order.’