1. The 12th meeting among the directors-general for Latin American and Caribbean affairs of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, the People’s Republic of China and Japan will take place in Tokyo on January 17. In the forthcoming meeting, the three countries will engage in an extensive exchange of views on the full range of matters pertaining to diplomacy toward Latin America, including outlooks on the political and economic situations in the region in 2019; foreign policies toward the region; and ways to work with major regional organizations.

° The meeting, held on an annual basis since 2006, functions as a signature platform for the ROK-China-Japan cooperation on diplomacy toward Latin America.

° The forthcoming meeting will bring together Director-General for Latin American and Caribbean Affairs of the ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jo Yung-joon; Director-General of the Latin America and Caribbean Bureau of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Takahiro NAKAMAE; and Director-General of the Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs ZHAO Bentang.

2. Amid the keen international attention to Latin American issues, including the super cycle of presidential elections in Latin America, the situation in Venezuela, and Central American migrants (caravan), the meeting is expected to serve as an opportunity to seek ways for the ROK, China and Japan to step up cooperation with Latin America. As such, it is expected to provide meaningful implications for the ROK in terms of bolstering diplomacy toward Latin America.

3. In the upcoming meeting, the three sides will also discuss in depth holding a meeting of the preparatory committee for the Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC), as proposed by the ROK delegation at the FEALAC Senior Officials’ Meeting in November 2018 in order to successfully prepare for the ninth FEALAC Foreign Ministers' Meeting slated to take place in the Dominican Republic in the second half of the year 2019; and ways to strengthen the institutional framework of FEALAC.

4. On the occasion of the trilateral meeting, the ROK side will hold bilateral meetings with the Japanese and Chinese delegations to extensively discuss matters of mutual interest, including ways to vitalize FEALAC, development cooperation with Latin America, investment in the region, and ways to render assistance to the region. 

* unofficial translation