Ambassador Seijoong Kwon Hosts Luncheon Meeting with Executive Staff of the IMA
His Excellency Seijoong Kwon, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, hosted a luncheon meeting at his residence on Friday 14th March 2025 inviting the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), Mr. Ermath Harrington, the Director of the Institute of Marine Affairs, Dr. Ava Maxam, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Regional Director, Diane Quarless, and two senior IMA staff members.
In his welcoming remarks, His Excellency, Seijoong Kwon, expressed his interest to collaborate with the IMA and ECLAC on co-hosting a Seminar on Climate Action in the Caribbean in recognition of the Third United Nations (UN) Ocean Conference (UNOC3), slated for Nice, France from 9-13 June 2025. His Excellency further underscored his commitment to strengthening ties with the IMA to address coastal and marine-based research projects, coastal and beach clean-ups, and the sharing of Policies on the Blue Economy through close communication between the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
The luncheon meeting included brief discussions on a recap of the Sandy Shorelines Project, an initiative aimed at strengthening climate resilience in coastal communities across Trinidad and Tobago with support from the Korea International Cooperation Agency and the Korean Institute of Ocean Science and Technology; the delightful gastronomic cuisine of the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and, a friendly exchange of views on various topics, including culture and the arts.
Enthusiastic about future collaborations with the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the IMA, Mr. Ermath Harrington, underscored the Institute’s commitment to further strengthen friendly relations and cooperation on marine-based projects to address global environmental challenges.
The IMA Director, Dr. Ava Maxam, gave the assurance of the IMA’s willingness and readiness to cooperate on upcoming partnerships with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea across a broad spectrum of ocean-based issues, including climate change, and, the potential for mutual benefits in coastal and marine research underpinning environmental sustainability.