1. Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang, Kyung-wha had a meeting on December 20  with Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sweden Stefan Löfven, who is making an official visit to the Republic of Korea (Dec. 18-20), and exchanged views on the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the ROK and Sweden, the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, and cooperation on the global stage.

2. Minister Kang expressed appreciation to Prime Minister Löfven for visiting the ROK with the largest-ever economic delegation on the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations, and welcomed the significant progress in bilateral relations, as shown by the mutual visits of the leaders of the two countries this year, as well as various commemorative events. Minister Kang voiced hope that the two countries would continue to closely work together on the basis of common values not only at the bilateral level but also in the multilateral arena.

3. Prime Minister Löfven expressed appreciation for the ROK government’s hospitality and cooperation, saying that all events during his visit to the ROK were successful, including the summit and official dinner, the business forum, the speech at the National Assembly, the high-level roundtable on 5G, and the visit to the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission.

4. Minister Kang explained the recent situation on the Korean Peninsula, expressed appreciation to Sweden for actively contributing to the ROK government’s efforts to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula, and requested Sweden’s continued interest and support.
 
o Prime Minister Löfven expressed active support for the ROK government’s efforts to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and cooperation. He also said that it is important to maintain the dialogue momentum even under difficult circumstances, and that Sweden is ready to provide necessary support and play its role in close cooperation with the ROK.

5. Prime Minister Löfven and Minister Kang exchanged views on key regional issues, including the ROK-Japan relations, the South China Sea, and the U.S.-China relations. The two sides took note that the two countries have been closely working together on the protection of multilateralism, gender equality, disarmament, and other key issues on the international stage, including the United Nations, and agreed on the need to further deepen such cooperation.