Seoul Defence Dialogue: Denuclearisation of Korean Peninsula among key themes

Seoul, Sep 13 (PTI) High-level defense officials and military experts from over 50 countries have gathered here as part of a multilateral forum to discuss and deliberate on ideas for achieving denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, defense cooperation for prevention of violent extremism and maritime security.

The seventh edition of Seoul Defence Dialogue (SDD), an annual multilateral security meeting at the vice minister level, got underway on Tuesday with the theme of 'Sustainable Peace: From Conflict to Cooperation'.

According to officials of the South Korean Ministry of National Defence, relevant government officials and experts have come together to share opinions and come up with ideas for peace and security of the Korean Peninsula and the globe at large.

The first SDD was held in 2012 and with time it has grown both qualitatively and quantitatively, they said.

The dialogue, attended by high-level defense officials and security experts from various countries and international organizations, has developed into an "effective venue for building measures for defense cooperation".

"This year, including Central Asian countries, seven new countries have been invited to the SDD (Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Sweden, Spain and Egypt)," according to the information shared by the Ministry of National Defence.

High-level defense officials from over fifty countries, including the US, France and a few international organizations are participating in it, organizers said.

Several sessions have been lined up for the three-day event that ends on Friday.

Denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of peace regime is the main theme of the first plenary session slated to be held on Wednesday morning

"Distinguished global security experts will discuss and deliberate on that issue. Besides, sustainable peace: from conflict to cooperation is the main theme... Establishment of peace regime and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula requires international community's cooperation in various fields," a senior official said.

Delineating the factors for holding the dialogue, the SDD website says, Northeast Asia is at the heart of the world economy, and the region's security issues are "greatly impacting" the global security.

"In addition, the necessity of confidence building in the area of security among nations is increasing, and new conflicts including military build-ups, nuclear threats, and extreme terror threats are constantly changing," it said.

Among other issues which would be discussed during the event include, strategic balance in Northeast Asia: cooperation and confidence building; maritime security cooperation: challenges and tasks; and cybersecurity: strengthening mutual cooperation.

South Korean Minister of National Defense Song Young-moo is scheduled to address the forum on Thursday during the formal opening ceremony.

In the special sessions, discussions regarding defense cooperation for energy security, international peacekeeping activities, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief will be held.

"The Seoul Defense Dialogue 2018 will contribute to the sustainable global peace by promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and improving a security environment in the Asia Pacific region, and will be a venue of dialogue for practical defense cooperation among participating countries," it said.