1. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, who is on a visit to New York to attend the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, had separate bilateral meetings with Foreign Minister of the Republic of Cuba Bruno Rodriguez, Foreign Minister of the Argentine Republic Jorge Faurie, and Foreign Minister of the Republic of Colombia Carlos Trujillo at the UN headquarters from September 26 to 27, and exchanged views on ways to increase cooperation in each area, cooperation on the global stage, and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

2. (ROK-Cuba) Minister Kang had her second bilateral meeting with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on September 26, following the meeting in May this year, and maintained the momentum of high-level dialogue with the government of Cuba, the only Latin American country which does not have diplomatic ties with the ROK.

o The two Ministers exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, including ways to advance the ROK-Cuba relations, ways to step up exchanges and cooperation, and the situation on the Korean Peninsula. They also agreed to continue to develop and pursue cooperation projects in a range of areas, including economic and cultural affairs, and people-to-people exchanges.

o Furthermore, the two sides agreed to continue consultations between the governments of the two countries on various occasions, including the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting next year.

3. (ROK-Argentina) In her meeting with Foreign Minister of Argentina Jorge Faurie on September 26, Minister Kang exchanged views on the G20 summit 2018, an ROK-MERCOSUR trade agreement, cooperation on the global stage, and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

o Minister Kang wished Argentina, the first South American country to host the G20 summit, a successful summit in late November this year, and said that the ROK government would actively cooperate with the country.

o Minister Kang also asked for Argentina’s cooperation to make sure that the negotiations on an ROK-MERCOSUR trade agreement, which started recently, are concluded smoothly as soon as possible.

※ The G20 summit will take place from November 30 until December 1 this year in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

※ Progress in negotiations on an ROK-MERCOSUR trade agreement (TA): The two sides began a joint study in November 2004, announced the start of negotiations in May 2018, and held the first round of negotiations in Uruguay from September 11 to 15, 2018.

4. (ROK-Colombia) In her meeting with Foreign Minister of Colombia Carlos Trujillo on September 27, Minister Kang discussed ways to work together to strengthen the ROK-Colombia strategic cooperative partnership, as well as the current situations in the two regions, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and plans to implement Colombia’s peace agreement.

o The two Ministers especially spoke highly of the achievements of the ROK-Colombia FTA, which entered into force in 2016, and agreed to increase substantive cooperation in the ROK’s efforts to join the Pacific Alliance (PA) as an associate member, as well as in Colombia’s infrastructure construction and e-government sectors.

5. By holding meetings with her counterparts from three Latin American countries on the occasion of the UN General Assembly, Minister Kang reviewed the current state of cooperation with key countries in Latin America, an emerging market, and discussed ways to step up future-oriented and substantive cooperation, thereby contributing to diversifying the ROK’s diplomacy.

* unofficial translation