1. Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Yoon Soon-gu of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will attend in his capacity as the Republic of Korea’s head delegate the Senior Officials’ Meetings (SOMs) of the ASEAN+3, the East Asia Summit (EAS), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and the Friends of the Lower Mekong (FLM), which will take place in Singapore, this year’s ASEAN chair, from June 5 to 7.

2. At the ASEAN+3 SOM (June 6), the officials will review the current state of cooperation in a range of areas, including financial and economic affairs, food security, education and healthcare, as well as the progress in the implementation of measures to follow up on the report of the East Asia Vision Group II, which the ROK government has led to increase cooperation in the region.

※ The ASEAN+3 (launched in 1997), whose members are 10 ASEAN countries, the ROK, China, and Japan, is cooperating in about 20 areas, including financial and economic affairs, ICT, education, and healthcare.

※ The EAVG II, the second group of eminent persons launched in 2011 to replace the EAVG I (formed in 1999), proposed a vision for creating an East Asia Economic Community by 2020 at the ASEAN+3 summit in 2012.

3. At the SOM of the East Asia Summit (June 6), the highest-level strategic forum bringing together all major countries in the region, the officials will discuss ways to work together to overcome traditional and non-traditional security threats facing the international community and the region. They will also discuss regional situations, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and the South China Sea issue, as well as ways to institutionalize the EAS.

※ The EAS (launched in 2005) consists of 10 ASEAN countries, the ROK, China, Japan, the US, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, and India.

- The members of the EAS, a forum for strategic consultations between leaders of major countries in the region on political and security affairs, among others, are cooperating mainly in six priority areas (energy, finance, education, healthcare, disaster management, and ASEAN connectivity).

4. At the SOM of the ASEAN Regional Forum (June 7), whose members include North Korea, the officials will exchange views on key regional and global security issues, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the South China Sea issue, responses to terrorism and extremism, and cyber security. They will also engage in extensive discussions on activities to cooperate in disaster relief, counter-terrorism, responses to transnational crimes, maritime security, and ICT security, as well as the results of the ARF inter-sessional meetings on disaster relief and on non-proliferation and disarmament, hosted by the ROK in April this year.

※ The ASEAN Regional Forum (launched in 1994) is comprised of 27 member states, including 10 ASEAN countries, the ROK, the US, China, Japan, and North Korea.

- It is carrying out trust-building and preventive diplomacy activities mainly in the areas of disaster relief, counter-terrorism, responses to transnational crimes, disarmament and non-proliferation, maritime security, and ICT security.

5. At the SOM of the Friends of the Lower Mekong (June 5), which has taken place since 2011 at the initiative of the US to exchange information among donors to the Mekong region, the officials will look at how donor countries are cooperating in the Mekong region, and especially exchange views on ways to work together to gather, analyze, and share water data to ensure an integrated management of water resources in the Mekong River.

※ The Friends of the Lower Mekong (launched in 2011) consists of six donors to the Mekong region (the ROK, the US, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and the EU), five Mekong countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand), and two international organizations (the Asian Development Bank, and the World Bank).

6. At the upcoming SOMs, to be held ahead of this year’s ASEAN-related foreign ministerial meetings, the officials will also discuss the agenda and other preparations for the foreign ministerial meetings (July 30-August 4).

* unofficial translation