Seminar & Forum TCS Held 2012 International Forum for the Trilateral Cooperation (IFTC) 2012.10.15
On the occasion of the 1st anniversary of its establishment, the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) held the International Forum for the Trilateral Cooperation with the theme of “2012: Year of Transition and the Trilateral Cooperation” at the Shilla Hotel, Seoul, ROK on October 15, 2012.
 
Ambassador SHIN Bong-kil, the Secretary General of the TCS announced the opening of the forum and introduced the TCS’ efforts for the promotion of the cooperative relationship among the three countries in the past year. He emphasized that the three countries are no longer tied up in Northeast Asian regional boundary, but have the potential and responsibility to contribute to peace and co-prosperity in the region as well as the world at large.
 
Mr. KIM Sung-hwan, Foreign Minister of the ROK; Mr. NAKAGAWA Masaharu, Former Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, and Mr. LU Shumin, Vice President of Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs, delivered keynote speeches. All the dignitaries, recognizing complex and fluid situation in Northeast Asia, stressed the increasing importance of strengthening the trilateral cooperation. They expressed the expectation for the TCS to play professional and creative roles for the promotion of the trilateral cooperation.

In the following 4 sessions, i.e., “Northeast Asia in Times of Transition”, “Strengthening Economic Cooperation and Integration”, “Specific Proposals-Expanding the Horizon of the Trilateral Cooperation” and “The Role of the TCS”, 15 speakers from academic, business, media and civil society sectors of the three countries gave presentations and shared wisdoms on a variety of topics, such as political strategic thoughts for the future Northeast Asia, trilateral FTA, finance and industry cooperation, cyber-nationalism and people-to-people exchange and role of the civil society. The speakers tabled specific cooperative proposals, including Trilateral 9 Wise-persons’ Group, Sports Ministers’ Meeting and the Northeast Asia infrastructure fund. They also offered suggestions on the future development of the TCS.
 
Mr. Halldór Ásgrímsson, the Secretary-General of the Nordic Council of Ministers and Former Prime Minister of Iceland, delivered a luncheon speech and shared five Nordic countries’ experience of co-prosperity.
 
After the Forum, the TCS held its 1st Anniversary Reception, at which ROK presidential candidates Ms. Park Geun-hye and Mr. Ahn Cheol-soo delivered congratulatory remarks.

Opening session (from left to right: Ambassador SHIN Bong-kil, Secretary General of the TCS; Mr. NAKAGAWA Masaharu, Former Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan; Mr. KIM Sung-hwan, Foreign Minister of the ROK; Mr. LU Shumin, Vice President of Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs; Mr. BANG Sang-hoon, President of Chosun Ilbo)

Ambassador SHIN Bong-kil delivering opening remark 

Session 1 - “Northeast Asia in Times of Transition”

Session 2 - “Strengthening Economic Cooperation and Integration”

Session 3 - “Specific Proposals-Expanding the Horizon of the Trilateral Cooperation”

Session 4 - “The Role of the TCS”

TCS 1st Anniversary Reception 
(from left to right: Mr. BANG, Sang-hoon, President of Chosun Ilbo, Ambassador SHIN Bong-kil, ROK presidential candidates Mr. AHN Cheol-soo and Ms. PARK Geun-hye)