South Korea pushes partners for sustainable development

South Korea on Thursday urged its partners-Mexico, Italy, Turkey and Australia-which together form MIKTA, to initiate sustainable development goals.

A meeting for the group kicked off in Istanbul with the theme "sustainable development in 2030".

Chung Sye-kyun, national assembly speaker for South Korea, said sustainable development is necessary for peaceful and inclusive societies.

He added that the MIKTA platform could be used to respond to humanitarian crisis around the world.

Speaking about the refugee crisis he said that the UN and international community must introduce more programs with assistance from civil society groups.

Sye-kyun called on North Korea to halt its nuclear threats.

"The Republic of Korea and the international community are concerned about this military provocation which violates international norms," he said.

He added that last year North Korea experienced a famine, but instead of improving the lives of its citizens, the country is focusing on enhancing its nuclear missiles.

The first MIKTA meeting for parliamentarians was held in 2015 in the South Korean capital, Seoul.

The association was formed in 2013.