1. On March 18, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se will meet with former Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy of Egypt, who is on a visit to the Republic of Korea to attend an ROK-EU International Conference on Middle Eastern and North African Affairs (MENA).

2. In the meeting, Minister Yun will extend appreciation to former Minister Fahmy for his plan to deliver a keynote speech at the ROK-EU conference and thereby play a role in making a success of the event, as well as for his contributions toward advances in the ROK-Egypt relations during his service as Foreign Minister, including through the visit to the ROK in December 2013. The two Ministers will exchange views on the way forward for the ties between the two countries that mark the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations as well as the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East.

3. In particular, with regard to the bombing attack on a tourist bus carrying ROK nationals on the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, in February 2014, Minister Yun will express deep gratitude to the Egyptian government for its active cooperation in handling the aftermath of the incident.

4. Former Minister Fahmy is an expert on Middle Eastern affairs and expected candidate to lead major regional consultative mechanisms in the Middle East. Accordingly, continued exchanges with him are expected to help not only advance the ROK-Egypt relations but also strengthen the ROK’s networks and increase multi-level cooperation with leading figures of the Middle East. 


               Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation