Five middle powers set to hold senior officials' meeting

SEOUL, Feb. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and four other middle powers were set to hold a senior officials' meeting in Seoul on Friday in the run-up to a meeting of the countries' foreign ministers slated for late May, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

The so-called MIKTA is an informal cooperative body that was created by Mexico, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Turkey and Australia in September 2013 in a bid to enhance coordination on global issues of common interest.

The five countries plan to have their first deputy foreign minister-level meeting later in the day in a symbolic step to show that MIKTA is evolving as a core cooperative body, the ministry said. A foreign ministers' meeting is slated for late May, but the specific date has not been decided.

South Korea assumed the role of coordinator last September from Mexico.

The three-session meeting to be hosted by Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Lee Kyung-soo will deal with how to promote cooperation, including the creation of a MIKTA website and the establishment of guidelines for activities.

Also on the discussion table are how to build networks for specific cooperative projects and details about the planned foreign ministers' meeting, it added.

"Seoul's successful hosting of the senior officials' talks and the May foreign ministers' meeting will pave the way for further strengthening solidarity among MIKTA countries," Lee said in a statement Tuesday.

In November, the top diplomats from MIKTA discussed how to cope with terrorism and the Ebola outbreak, as well as how to address sexual violence against women during conflicts, at their fourth round of meetings held on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Australia, according to the foreign ministry.

The gross domestic products of the five countries that make up MIKTA rank from No. 17 in the world to No. 21.

The MIKTA countries have different historical and cultural backgrounds, along with geographical locations, but their shared common values, such as democracy and open economies, can contribute to the global public good, according to the foreign ministry.

sooyeon@yna.co.kr
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