1. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met with Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano of Italy in Rome on January 26, during which the two top diplomats exchanged a wide range of views on matters of mutual concern, including ways to step up substantive cooperation, the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and ways to work together on global issues.

° On behalf of the government and the people of Italy, Minister Alfano extended deep consolation over the tragic fire at a hospital in Miryang, southeast of Seoul, on January 26, in response to which Minister Kang expressed appreciation.

2. In their meeting, the two Ministers noted with appreciation the steady advancement of the friendly and cooperative relations between the Republic of Korea and Italy over the past 130-odd years, as can be seen from the latter country’s dispatch of a medical unit to help the ROK during the Korean War. They agreed to seek reciprocal visits by the two countries’ Presidents, who had held summit talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in September 2017, and to increase other high-level exchanges; and to put in a higher gear the vice foreign minister-level policy consultation mechanism in efforts to beef up the bilateral relations.

° Minister Kang asked that the Italian government, a two-time host of the Winter Olympics, pay keen attention to and cooperate on the efforts to make a success of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, voicing hoping that many Italians will visit the ROK during the sporting event.

※ Some 350 Italians, including 220-odd athletes, will visit the ROK for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

° Minister Kang, taking note of successful bilateral cooperation in trade and investment on the back of the ROK-EU FTA and the two countries’ mutually complementary industrial structures, as well as cooperation for the joint entry of the two countries’ companies into third countries, suggested that the two countries boost substantive cooperation in such economy-related areas as small- and middle-sized enterprises, science and industry. Minister Alfano, responding positively to Minister Kang’s suggestion, proposed that the two countries work more closely together in diverse sectors, including high technology, agriculture, and defense industry.

※ The ROK and Italy have worked together on 139 projects worth a combined 24.37 billion US dollars in 23 countries, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Georgia.

3. Minister Kang extended appreciation to Italy for rendering strong support to the ROK on its policy toward North Korea -- including by underscoring the importance of tough sanctions and pressure on North Korea as well as of a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue -- in 2017 as the chair of the G7, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, and the chair of the Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea.

° Minister Kang stressed that the ROK government, building on the progress in the currently ongoing inter-Korean talks, will seek to foster an environment for resuming dialogue toward a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue.

° Minister Alfano expressed hope that the inter-Korean dialogue on North Korea’s participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics will serve as a good opportunity to build a new momentum for the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue, adding that support will be continually rendered to the ROK government on its efforts to alleviate tensions and build peace on the Korean Peninsula.

4. The two Ministers, taking note of the two countries’ support for each other on the international stage as well as close cooperation on such global issues as responding to the refugee issue and humanitarian assistance, agreed to further and systematically expand bilateral cooperation on multilateral diplomacy.

5. The ROK-Italy foreign ministerial meeting on January 26 is seen to have served as a good opportunity to step up already-close bilateral cooperation in a broad range of fields, including political affairs and economy; toward a diplomatic and peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue; and on other major international issues.

* unofficial translation