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The Global Diplomats Forum (GDF) brought together diplomatic representatives from eight countries and Korean businesses at the National Assembly in Seoul on Monday to explore ways to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) expand overseas.

The conference was co-hosted by GDF and the Korea Strong Small Business Association (KSSBA).

Diplomatic representatives from Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Brazil, Germany, Malaysia, Uzbekistan and the Philippines presented their countries’ market conditions, investment opportunities and key industries.

The participating ambassadors included Chafik Rachadi of Morocco, Jamal Abdullah Al Suwaidi of the UAE, Emilia Gatto of Italy, Fernando Pimentel of Brazil, Georg Schmidt of Germany, Dato’ Mohd Zamruni Khalid of Malaysia, Alisher Abdusalomov of Uzbekistan and Bernadette Therese Fernandez of the Philippines. About 30 diplomatic representatives attended.

The conference aimed to address challenges facing Korean SMEs seeking to enter foreign markets, including limited access to market information, local business partners and distribution networks.

The event also featured congratulatory messages from former Prime Minister Chung Un-chan and former Foreign Minister Park Jin.

Zena Chung, founder and president of GDF, said the organization would continue building partnerships between Korean businesses and foreign diplomatic missions.

“Our goal is to build a practical export platform that connects the competitiveness of Korean SMEs directly with global markets,” she said.

GDF plans to expand cooperation with diplomatic missions and international business networks to help Korean SMEs identify overseas partners, access new markets and explore investment opportunities.