1. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se held a telephone conversation with Catherine Margaret Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on November 29 to exchange views on matters of mutual concern, including the recent agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue, the situation in Syria and ways for the Republic of Korea and the EU to work more closely together.

2. With regard to the Iranian nuclear issue, Minister Yun welcomed the adoption by the P5+1 (the US, the UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) and Iran in Geneva on November 24 of the Joint Plan of Action that consists of initial steps toward the resolution of the issue. He commended the role of High Representative Ashton in reaching the agreement.

○ High Representative Ashton, extending her appreciation to Minister for his praise, commented that years of sincere efforts to improve the relations with Iran had resulted in the recent successful agreement.

3. Minister Yun noted that despite differences between the North Korean and the Iranian nuclear issues in many aspects, the progress on the Iranian issue has implications for the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue. In this vein, he voiced hope that the ROK and the EU will communicate and work closely with each other in efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.

4. With regard to the situation in Syria, the Minister and the High Representative hailed the decision to hold the Geneva II Conference on Syria and shared the view that the meeting could make progress toward the resolution of the situation in the country.

○ Minister Yun, in particular, brought attention to the fact that the ROK government will host the third meeting of the Working Group for Economic Reconstruction and Development of the Friends of the Syrian People in Seoul in December. He added that the ROK is making all necessary preparations for the meeting to serve as a useful opportunity for discussions on the future of Syria. He also voiced his hope that the EU will take an active part in the discussions.

5. Minister Yun expressed satisfaction with the success of the ROK-EU summit as well as the adoption of the Joint Declaration in Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of ROK-EU Diplomatic Relations in Brussels, Belgium, on November 8 and extended his appreciation to the EU for its close cooperation in the lead-up to the summit. The two sides agreed to build upon the outcome of the summit to further deepen the cooperative ties between the ROK and the EU.

                  Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation