Macron Says France Will Cooperate with South Korea to Restore Peace in Strait of Hormuz

Following a summit with President Lee Jae-myung, French President Emmanuel Macron said on the 8th (local time) that "(South Korea and France) can cooperate on Middle East issues" and that "we must find a peaceful solution to the issue of freedom of navigation (in the Strait of Hormuz)."

President Macron made the remarks during a joint press briefing held right after the summit at the Elysee Palace in Paris on the same day.

President Macron also recalled, "Our two countries have reviewed what can be done, including with the UK, to resume navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."

This is interpreted as a reference to the discussion of this issue during the South Korea-France summit when he visited South Korea last April, as well as President Lee's participation in a video conference led by the UK and France to resolve the Strait of Hormuz crisis.

President Macron added, "We will cooperate to restore peace in this region," and stated, "We will proceed with cooperation as soon as consent (from each country) for that multinational mission is secured."

He also elaborated, "That multinational mission is a peaceful one."

At a time when attention is focused on how the South Korean government will respond to recent deployment pressure from the US side, it is noteworthy that President Macron mentioned a "multinational response" including the UK and a "peaceful mission."

In addition, President Macron expressed the view that in international relations, an approach centered on the solidarity of various countries is more important than a specific country leading the trend.

He evaluated, "Both countries are defending their respective sovereignties, and based on this, we intend to implement joint projects and cooperation. This allows us to strengthen our strategic autonomy," adding, "It also prevents us from depending on the hegemonic tendencies of superpowers and allows us to seek our own independent path."

Regarding the war in Ukraine, he also made critical remarks about North Korea.

President Macron said, "North Korea is unhesitatingly providing support for Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine," and stated, "Regarding this, we (South Korea and France) share a joint vision based on the international legal order."

Concerning peace on the Korean Peninsula, he said, "For peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, the Republic of Korea can count on France's unwavering support."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.