S. Korea calls for APEC cooperation on energy supply chains, AI

SEOUL, Nov. 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has called for stronger cooperation among Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) members to build stable energy supply chains amid the region's vulnerability to crises in the Middle East, the foreign ministry said Wednesday.

Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina made the call during the 37th APEC Ministerial Meeting held via videoconference the previous day, according to the ministry.

Co-chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, the meeting brought together foreign and trade ministers from the 21 APEC member economies to discuss ways to foster cooperation for an Asia-Pacific community and advance regional economic integration.

Kim stressed the need for closer cooperation among APEC members to strengthen regional energy resilience and diversify energy supplies.

On artificial intelligence (AI), Kim called for stronger cooperation based on the APEC AI Initiative, launched under South Korea's leadership at last year's APEC summit in Gyeongju.

Kim said South Korea would support regional AI development and adoption by establishing innovation platforms, including a global AI hub and an Asia-Pacific AI center, and expand its contributions to ensure that all members benefit from innovation in the AI era, the ministry said.

graceoh@yna.co.kr
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