1. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha held a telephone conversation with High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini of the EU on July 16 at the request of the latter side. Over the phone, the Minister and the High Representative exchanged views on the current situation on the Korean Peninsula and ways to step up the Republic of Korea-European Union cooperation.

2. The Minister and the High Representative shared with each other their assessments of the progress made in the inter-Korean and US-North Korea consultations since their previous telephone conversation on June 1; and agreed to work closely together to achieve a complete denuclearization and a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula on the back of the outcome of the inter-Korean and US-North Korea summit talks.

° In particular, Minister Kang extended appreciation to the EU for strongly supporting the ROK government’s policy toward the Korean Peninsula under the leadership of High Representative Mogherini, asking it to remain highly supportive of the ROK government’s relevant efforts.

° High Representative Mogherini, commending President Moon Jae-in’s leadership and determination for producing the recent positive progress in the situation on the Korean Peninsula, reaffirmed the EU’s full support and commitment to cooperation.

3. The Minister and the High Representative noted with appreciation that the ROK and the EU, strategic partners marking the 55^th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2018, were seeing their cooperation broaden in scope and deepen; and agreed make the best of major bilateral and multilateral events to further step up bilateral strategic communication in a bid to seek ways to respond jointly to regional, bilateral and global issues.

* unofficial translation