Last week, foreign ministers from five countries ― Mexico, Indonesia, Korea, Turkey and Australia ― gathered in Seoul for a meeting of their group, called MIKTA, named after the initials of the nations. The meeting drew little attention from the Korean public and media, but that should not undermine its significance.

MIKTA, launched in New York in 2013, is a cooperative mechanism among the five middle-power countries that share the core values of democracy and liberal market economy, hold a certain level of economic power and geopolitical importance in their respective regions, and take similar positions on key global issues.

Korean officials said the group’s members rank 12th to 18th in the world in terms of gross domestic product, and have a strong presence in their respective regions.

They all belong to the Group of 20 major economies, but not to the G7 or BRICS, which stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. All this shows that the group holds a unique position as a multilateral cooperative mechanism.

Participants at the Seoul meeting wrapped up their discussions Friday by adopting a vision statement, which laid out the group’s identity and its future vision, and a joint communique, which detailed their key agreements.

The foreign ministers ― Indonesia was represented by an envoy of its minister ― launched a website (www.mikta.org) to boost the group’s visibility. They also endorsed various exchange programs involving students, journalists and diplomats and the establishment of an academic network.

It is also worth noting that the five countries decided to hold a parliamentary speakers’ forum in July in Seoul and a business forum in Turkey, which would help expand cooperation in politics and the economy.

The ministers also discussed regional and global issues, including the North Korean nuclear program, cybersecurity and climate change, all summed up in the joint communique.

To be fair, the Seoul meeting turned out a success in that it yielded the most tangible results so far. The agreements will certainly elevate the group’s capacity and enhance its potential as a major multilateral cooperation mechanism.

What is also obvious is that developing MIKTA into a group with a larger collective clout needs greater political capital than the current level. It is welcome in this regard that the ministers agreed to push for a summit of their leaders “at an appropriate time” this year.

In the vision statement, MIKTA members said the group would strive to become a cross-regional consultative platform to act as a bridge between developed and developing countries, a catalyst for global governance reform and an agenda-setter on the global stage.

This mission cannot be achieved without attention and patronage from their respective presidents and prime ministers. Collective commitment at the leaders’ level is essential, and the earlier they pledge their commitment in a summit, the sooner will it attain its goal of becoming a real voice for the middle powers.