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NEAR Secretary-General Delivers Congratulatory Speech at the First Crested Ibis International Forum2018-05-28

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Secretary-General Hong Jong-kyoung visited Yangxian County, Hanzhong City from May 22-23 2018 and delivered a congratulatory speech at the Opening Ceremony of the first Crested Ibis International Forum, held on Wednesday, May 23. The NEAR Secretariat attended this event as a cooperating organization to the Forum. Through his congratulatory speech Secretary-General Hong delivered that Crested Ibis would become  a symbol of friendship exchange among the three countries recognized through the summit diplomacy of South Korea, China and Japan. Furthermore he stated that Crested Ibis would be distributed to Russia and Mongolia as expanding friendship and peace in the wider region of Northeast Asia.


 

Crested Ibis were living around in Northeast Asia in the past, but recently they were endangered due to the deteriorating ecological environment caused by industrialization. In 1981, since it was found again in Yangxian County, the Chinese government succeeded in restoration. Crested Ibis is a beautiful bird that has become a symbol of friendship exchange and ecological environment protection of the three countries of South Korea, China and Japan.


 

The official dinner held on Tuesday, May 22, was attended by many participants including  Propaganda Minister Zhuang Changxing of Shaanxi Provinacial People’s Government Standing committee member, Vice-President Hu Sishe of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Chairman Qu huan of Korea China Association for Cultural Exchange, Secretary-General Lee Jong-hean of TCS Secretariat, Hirayama ikuo, Former magistrate of  Niigata-ken, and Secretary-General Hong Jong-kyoung of NEAR Secretariat.




Following after the dinner, a historical video showing the history of friendship exchange among the three countries of Korea, Chian, and Japan for the restoration of Crested Ibis and their efforts made was played. Cultural performances were also shown by performance teams from Sado city, Niigata Prefecture, Japan and Changnyeong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, Korea.


Secretary-General Hong visited Xi’an, Shaanxi Province on the way back, and had a meeting over dinner with Xia Xiaozhong, Deputy Secretary-General of Shaanxi Provincial People's Government. At the meeting, the establishment of a subcommittee that Shaanxi Province may contribute as a NEAR member was discussed.