On January 22, Secretary General LIM Byung-jin visited the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Seoul and met with the new Russian Ambassador ZINOVIEW Georgy. Mr. Lim congratulated Mr. Zinoviev on his appointment to Korea and introduced NEAR, the largest multilateral exchange platform among regional governments in Northeast Asia. In addition, Mr. Lim provided an overview of its major activities for this year, and discussed on cooperation with Russian member regions.

Moreover, he emphasized the significance of collaboration among Korean, Russian, and Northeast Asian regional governments, highlighting the role of NEAR. Additionally, he sought the embassy's assistance in enabling active participation of Russian member regions in NEAR activities.

Mr. Zinoviev acknowledged that he had acquired a deeper understanding of NEAR through Mr. Lim's comprehensive explanation of its activities. He expressed high regard for NEAR's initiatives and its role in facilitating regional government cooperation in Northeast Asia. The embassy affirmed its dedication to further enhance collaboration with NEAR, including providing support for Russian members, particularly the Primorsky Territory and Khabarovsk Region, to actively engage in NEAR activities.

Mr. Zinoviev was appointed as the new ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Korea in early December last year and arrived in Korea earlier this year.