1. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, who attended the 8th Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (August 31, Busan), met with her Argentine counterpart Jorge Marcelo Faurie on August 31, and exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula; substantive cooperation between the two countries regarding an ROK-Mercosur trade agreement (TA), the export of medicines, and infrastructure investment; and high-level exchanges between the new governments of the two countries.

2. Minister Kang expressed appreciation to Argentina for consistently supporting the ROK government’s position to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, including by issuing a statement condemning North Korea’s continued nuclear and missile tests, and submitting a report on its implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions on sanctions against North Korea. She asked for Argentina’s continued interest and support to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula and solve the North Korean nuclear problem in a peaceful manner.

3. Furthermore, Minister Kang said that substantive cooperation between the two countries have been increasing in a range of areas, as demonstrated by the fact that the Argentine government recently decided to simplify its procedures for issuing permissions for Korean medicines, quarantine authorities of the two countries concluded a memorandum of understanding on cooperation, and Korean companies are working to participate in the Argentine government’s large-scale projects, including a project to build the Agua Negra tunnel. Minister Kang said that to build a stable foundation for such cooperation, it is necessary to establish institutional bases for cooperation.

o In particular, Minister Kang expected that the ROK-Mercosur (Southern Common Market) trade agreement (TA), which the two sides are discussing, will become an important opportunity to enhance trade and investment between the two countries. She took note of the leadership of Argentina, which, as chair of Mercosur, successfully wrapped up preliminary consultations on the TA in the first half of the year, and put out a joint declaration on the start of negotiations. Minister Kang asked the Argentine government’s continued cooperation to start the negotiations as early as possible.

o Minister Kang hoped that by signing a working holiday agreement and a social security agreement, currently being discussed, as soon as possible, the two countries will further facilitate not only material exchanges, including trade and investment, but exchanges between the people of the two countries.

4. The two sides agreed that the friendly relations between the two countries, based on the “comprehensive cooperative relationship for common prosperity in the 21st century,” have been further advanced recently, citing the fact that robust high-level exchanges between the governments of the two countries are underway, including Vice President Gabriela Michetti’s visit to the ROK in May 2016 after the inauguration of the new Argentine government in December 2015, and Minister Faurie’s visit to the ROK after the inauguration of the new ROK government in May this year, and that cooperation on the global stage, including the G20 and the WTO, is steadily increasing.

o Minister Faurie conveyed to the ROK side President Mauricio Macri’s willingness to visit the ROK in the first half of next year. The two sides agreed to continue communications and cooperation through various channels, including the ROK-Argentina high-level policy consultation, and the G20 summit to be held in Buenos Aires in 2018.


* unofficial translation