1. On the occasion of the Munich Security Conference 2019, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met bilaterally with Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic Le Drian on February 15 for a discussion on ways to step up the Republic of Korea-French Republic cooperation on the back of the outcome of bilateral summit talks held in October 2018 and the current situation on the Korean Peninsula.

2. The two Ministers noted with appreciation that since the successful ROK-France summit talks in Paris in October 2018, the two sides had been holding high-level exchanges for close consultations on ways to follow up on the summit; and agreed to work together mainly in order to continue reaping tangible results in 2019 from implementing the measures that had been agreed upon at the 2018 summit.

° With regard to the European Union decision to impose safeguard measures on steel products, Minister Kang, bringing attention to the fact that the measures would have impact on production at local plants and job creation in Europe, hoped that in the future review process, the possibility of expanding the import quota for Korean-made steel would be positively considered. On that note, she asked France to pay attention and render assistance in a bid to prevent this EU move from hampering the mutually beneficial flow of trade between the ROK and the EU.

3. Minister Kang shared with her French counterpart the ROK government’s work to accomplish a complete denuclearization and establish a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula; expressed hope that the forthcoming second summit between the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea would serve as a significant opportunity to see meaningful progress to that end; and asked for France’s continued support and cooperation in that regard.

° Minister Le Drian reaffirmed France’s all-out support and commitment to cooperation regarding the peace process on the Korean Peninsula.

4. The ROK-France foreign ministerial meeting is seen to have served as an opportunity to discuss the direction of bilateral cooperation, including in following up on the bilateral summit held in October 2018, and to reaffirm the commitment to continued advancement of the already-close cooperative ties between the two countries.

* unofficial translation