1. The 2016 meeting of heads and other members of the Republic of Korea’s 15 diplomatic missions in Eurasia, including Russia, member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Mongolia, took place in Moscow, Russia, on December 22. First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam presided over the meeting.

2. At the meeting, the participants shared with one another information on the rapidly changing international situation and Eurasian issues, and discussed in depth ways to work more closely with Eurasian countries and boost public diplomacy toward the region; events to mark in 2017 the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the ROK and Central Asian countries as well as the 80th anniversary of the settlement of ethnic Koreans in those countries; and ways to step up the ROK’s substantive cooperation with Russia and member states of the CIS.

3. The mission chiefs agreed to seek closer cooperation between the ROK and Eurasian countries on nuclear and other issues of North Korea as well as across the board, including political affairs, economy and culture, and to carry out diplomatic work necessary for safeguarding national interests and ensuring the safety of the overseas Koreans amid the rapidly changing international situation of late.

4. The participants agreed to seek partnership with more regions in Eurasia and in a broader range of fields, including agriculture, science, technology, health and medical care.

5. The ROK’s diplomatic missions in the CIS region agreed to hold events to mark in 2017 the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 80th anniversary of the settlement of ethnic Koreans in a way that befits the situations of their host countries; to seek connectivity among the events; and thereby to create synergistic effects from them.

6. The meeting of the ROK’s mission chiefs to Eurasian countries is seen to have served as a good opportunity to review the progress in cooperation between the ROK and Eurasian countries over the past four years and to discuss ways that the ROK can implement diplomacy in sync with the rapidly changing international situation.


* unofficial translation