Seminar & Forum 7th Network of Trilateral Cooperation Think-Tanks (NTCT) Focal Points Meeting and 2022 NTCT Conference 2023-03-09
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On March 9, 2023, the 7th Network of Trilateral Cooperation Think-Tanks (NTCT) Conference and 2022 NCT Conference were held online, hosted by the Japan Forum on International Relations. The Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS), the China Foreign Affairs University, and the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA) were in attendance. Also in attendance were scholars from the Hunan University of Technology and Business, the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (Japan), the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (Japan), and the National Institute for Defense Stduies (Japan). TCS Deputy Secretary-General BEK Bumhym delivered opening and closing remarks. 

DSG BEK expressed his gratitude for the support received from various fields of trilateral cooperation. He acknowledged the high relevance of the three topics of the meeting to trilateral cooperation, namely, carbon neutrality, high-level RCEP, and security cooperation. He introduced related TCS initiatives such as the Expert Meeting on RCEP (March 2022) and the 9th CJK Cooperation Dialogue (November 2022). He also emphasized TCS’ efforts in promoting youth exchange such as the Trilateral Youth Exchange Network as another pillar of promoting better ties between the three countries. 

The Focal Points Meeting’s discussions centered around the draft reports related to carbon neutrality, RCEP, and security cooperation created by the Working Groups organized by each participating organization. Following lively discussion on the contents of the reports, all those in attendance agreed to make prompt and appropriate revisions to finalize the reports for submission to the three governments as policy recommendations. The TCS reitereated its willingness to support the NTCT deliver its policy recommendations to the three governments. 

The conference focused on Trilateral Cooperation in the Era of Competition Between Nations. Participants acknowledged the increasingly complex global environment challenging trilateral cooperation, but found numerous areas for potential collaboration such as banking, health, green energy, people-to-people exchange, and third country cooperation. 

The NTCT, officially launched in 2015, has been promoting academic exchanges between the three countries on various issues such as security, economy, environment, and regional cooperation. The focal point meeting and the conferece aim to provide constructive policy recommendations to the governments of the three countries. The next meeting and conference is planned to be held in 2023, hosted by the KNDA. 

▲DSG BEK Delivering Remarks 

▲ Group Photo with Participants