1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held the 3rd meeting of the Republic of Korea-Greece Joint Economic Committee in Seoul on June 22, and discussed ways to increase trade and investment between the two countries; the progress made in economic cooperation in a range of areas, including e-government, science and technology, marine transportation and shipbuilding, and transportation and infrastructure; and ways to further enhance cooperation in the areas.

o The ROK delegation was led by Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, and the Greek delegation was led by Alternate Foreign Minister George Katrougalos.

※ The ROK-Greece Joint Economic Committee was created in accordance with the ROK-Greece agreement for economic cooperation concluded in 2008, and its second meeting took place in Athens in 2016.

※ Participating organizations: (ROK side) Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of Science and ICT, and Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, (Greek side) Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Media, Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy, and Ministry of Tourism

2. In the meeting, the two sides looked at the progress in implementing key measures to follow up on the Prime Ministers’ meeting held in October last year, and engaged in in-depth discussions on ways the two countries can strengthen economic cooperation.

o The ROK side explained difficulties that Korean companies in Greece were facing, and asked for the Greek government’s interest and support to expand Korean companies’ investment in Greece.

※ Requests made by the ROK side: △devising measures to address the damage the private copy levies on smartphones and tablets are inflicting on Korean companies, △cracking down on the illegal inflow of mobile phones, and △exemption from the law on road transport of dangerous goods

3. In particular, the two sides reviewed the progress in substantive cooperation in various areas, including e-government, transportation infrastructure, marine transportation and shipbuilding, and agriculture, and agreed to continue to closely cooperate to expand cooperation in a range of areas.

o The two sides agreed to hold the second meeting of the e-government cooperation committee in accordance with the MOU on e-government concluded last year.

o They discussed ways to facilitate cooperation in science and technology, digital economy and ICT.

o They agreed on the importance of cooperative relations between the two countries in the marine transportation and shipbuilding industries, and agreed to continue to enhance cooperative relations in the areas.

o They discussed ways to facilitate tourism exchanges and cultural cooperation between the two countries, making use of cultural and tourism-related contents.

o They devised measures to hold a meeting on agricultural cooperation to expand cooperation in the agricultural sector.

4. In the meeting, the two sides recognized the remarkable increase in economic cooperation between the two countries in a range of areas, and agreed to hold the next committee meeting in Greece in 2020, and to continue to review the progress in economic cooperation until then.

* unofficial translation