1. On August 6 and 7, Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul will attend as head delegate of the government of the Republic of Korea the 70th session of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) to take place in Bangkok, Thailand, from August 4 through 8 and deliver a keynote speech themed “ways to enhance the regional connectivity.”

◦ On the sidelines of the UN ESCAP meeting, Vice Minister Cho will meet with the organization’s Executive Secretary Shamshad Akhtar to discuss ways for the ROK and the UN ESCAP to work together. The Vice Minister, invited to a G20 high-level session as a special speaker, will also deliver a keynote speech on the agenda of the 2014 G20 Australia Summit.

2. On his way to Thailand for the UN ESCAP session, Vice Minister Cho will visit Singapore on August 4 and 5 to meet with the Second Minister as well as the First and the Second Permanent Secretaries of the country’s Foreign Ministry for discussions on pending bilateral issues and regional situations. During his visits to Singapore and Thailand, the Vice Minister will also have working luncheons with their academic and press leaders to explain the ROK government’s trustpolitik policies, including the Trust-Building Process on the Korean Peninsula and the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative. In addition, on those occasions, the two sides will discuss a wide range of matters of shared interest, including the situations in Northeast and Southeast Asia. 


                Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation