The president of the International Federation
of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Juan Manuel Suárez del Toro, begins
a two-day visit to South Korea today, during which he will meet President
Roh Moo-Hyun. The two men are expected to discuss Red Cross Red Crescent
humanitarian work inside the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)
and other issues relating to Red Cross activities on the Korean peninsula.
Suárez del Toro will be meeting President
Roh this afternoon.
During the visit, the International Federation president will also be meeting with leaders from the Korean National Red Cross (KNRC) and senior officials from the Korea International Cooperation Agency and the ministry of unification. The Red Cross societies of the two Korean nations have largely been the main channel of communication and cooperation between the two countries for several decades.
The KNRC and the DPRK Red Cross are also playing an important humanitarian role in facilitating meetings between separated family members with an eighth round of family reunions to take place in September. In order to make family reunions more regular, the two Red Cross societies are also working on plans to set up and run reunion centres at a mountain resort in the DPRK.
"During his discussions with the president of the KNRC, Young-Hoon Suh, the International Federation president will also express his appreciation for KNRC's continued support for Red Cross Red Crescent humanitarian work in the DPRK and elsewhere around the world," said Simon Missiri, head of the International Federation's Asia Pacific department, who is accompanying Suárez del Toro.
The Federation president will also discuss the KNRC's offer to host the International Federation's General Assembly in 2005 in Seoul and take part in various activities including attending a national Red Cross youth camp to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Red Cross youth movement in the country.
For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact:
Jemini Pandya, Press Officer - Tel: +
41 22 730 4570/ Mobile: + 41 79 217 3374
Media Service Duty Phone - Tel. + 41 79 416 38 81
The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 178 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together, constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.