1. On November 15, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met with the head delegates from the five Central Asian countries to the tenth Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum and exchanged views with them on the Republic of Korea-Central Asia relations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

2. Minister Yun stressed that the ROK government attaches great significance to its relations with the Central Asian countries, a central pillar for its Eurasia Initiative. The Minister, calling the year 2017 a significant one marking the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations with the Central Asian countries and the 80th anniversary of the settlement of ethnic Koreans in Central Asia, voiced hope that the ROK and Central Asia will see their friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation further promoted and that the bilateral cooperation secretariat to be launched in 2017 will play a role in the diversification of bilateral cooperation.

3. Minister Yun extended appreciation to the five Central Asian countries for their consistent support for the ROK government’s policy toward North Korea and asked them to remain cooperative in efforts to resolve nuclear and other issues of North Korea.

° The head delegates from the five Central Asian countries, calling North Korea’s nuclear tests and other provocations violations of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and a threat to the Korean Peninsula, Northeast Asia and the international community, expressed support for the ROK’s efforts to resolve nuclear and other issues of North Korea.


* unofficial translation