(KPL/Yonhap) Trade ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) met on Republic of Korea's resort island of Jeju on Thursday to discuss challenges facing global trade, as the chief negotiators of major economies sought bilateral talks with U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer.

The APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting runs through Friday at the International Convention Center in southern Jeju, under the theme "Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper," according the Seoul's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Top trade officials from the 21 APEC members are taking part in the two-day event, as well as senior officials from the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Soon after its start, the venue for the APEC ministers' meeting bustled with a series of bilateral meetings as many major APEC member countries, including Republic of Korea, Japan and China, are currently undergoing trade negotiations with Washington over U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff measures.

Later Thursday, Republic of Korean Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo held talks with the USTR on the sidelines of the MRT meeting.

In the talks, Cheong and Greer discussed pending trade issues between the two sides and the progress of Washington's trade negotiations with other countries, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Cheong told reporters the Seoul government will work to "get the most out of" Greer's visit, saying it aims for "orderly" negotiations with the United States.

Republic of Korea is one of the first countries that began trade talks with the U.S., but an upcoming presidential election in June is slowing progress in the ongoing negotiations.

The Cheong-Greer meeting follows the USTR's bilateral talks with China's top trade envoy, Li Chenggang, held earlier Thursday.

A separate meeting between the USTR and Republic of Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun is planned for Friday.

Greer's meetings with Republic of Korean officials come after their countries agreed in Washington last month to craft a "package" deal on tariff and other economic cooperation issues by early July, when the 90-day pause on the Trump administration's country-specific reciprocal tariffs, including 25 percent duties on Republic of Korea, will end.

Seoul has proposed expanding bilateral cooperation in the shipbuilding and energy sectors as part of efforts to lower U.S. tariffs on Korean goods, according to government officials.

"Today, the global environment surrounding APEC economies faces an array of challenges," Cheong said in his opening remarks at the start of the APEC meeting, highlighting uncertainties in trade and supply chains.

"International organizations such as the WTO and International Monetary Fund (IMF) have downgraded their projections for global trade and economic growth," he added.

"Given this challenging global trade environment, the role of APEC is more crucial than ever ... and the world is paying keen attention to this year's MRT meeting."

The APEC meeting will mainly discuss three agenda items -- artificial intelligence (AI) innovation for trade facilitation, connectivity through multilateral trading system and prosperity through sustainable trade, according to Seoul's industry ministry.

Meanwhile, Cheong also met with the Chinese trade envoy earlier in the day, where the two sides discussed multilateral trade system and global supply chain issues.

Cheong and Li discussed multilateralism and global supply chain issues, while agreeing on needs for joint efforts to facilitate working-level talks on expanding the bilateral free trade agreement to include the service and investment sectors, according to the trade ministry.

The Seoul trade minister told reporters "there was no discussion on the economic security issue" during the talks.

From Wednesday, Republic of Korea held bilateral meetings with eight APEC member nations, including China, Vietnam, Mexico and the Philippines, as well as WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to discuss various trade issues.

The country plans to hold six other bilateral meetings with APEC economies until Friday.

KPL