1. Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea (ROK), Kang Jeong-sik visited the United Mexican States in his capacity as head delegate to the MIKTA Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) on July 4-5, during which he and Mexico’s head delegate to the SOM, Damian Martinez, reviewed MIKTA’s activities to date and discussed its way forward.

2. The two sides noted with appreciation that MIKTA is witnessing successful achievements under the leadership of Mexico, the Chair of MIKTA for 2019; and agreed to make active joint efforts for MIKTA to develop into a solid platform that consolidates bilateral relations among its member states and that contributes to building norms of the international community in terms of multilateral diplomacy.

3. Mr. Martinez offered detailed explanations on Mexico’s plan for later this year to host the MIKTA Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on the occasion of the United Nations General Assembly (September 26, New York); MIKTA Speaker’s Consultation (the week of November 11, Mexico City); MIKTA Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on the occasion of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (November 22-23, Nagoya); and the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting to be hosted by the chair country (January or February 2020, Mexico City), and asked for the ROK’s active cooperation.

4. Deputy Minister Kang underscored the need for closer cooperation between the current and next chair countries for the ROK’s successful chairmanship in 2020 and called for Mexico’s active cooperation. In this sense, the two countries agreed to consult closely on such matters as the establishment of MIKTA’s action plans for the following year and the upgrading of MIKTA to a summit-level consultative mechanism as a way for enhancing the visibility of its activities in the international community and for gaining additional driving force.

5. In the meeting, Deputy Minister Kang delivered the ROK government’s official position to participate in the “Comprehensive Development Plan” that is being implemented by the Mexican government. The Mexican side greatly welcomed and expressed deep gratitude.

○ Prior to the meeting between the two head delegates to the MIKTA SOM, Deputy Minister Kang met with Executive Director of the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMECXID), Laura Elena Carillo, and discussed the aforementioned matter.

6. In addition, the two sides agreed to promote MIKTA’s development based on the continuously developing solid bilateral relations between the ROK and Mexico in all areas, including political, economic and multilateral affairs. The ROK government will actively seek ways for trilateral cooperation at MIKTA based on bilateral cooperation with Mexico, a gateway to Latin America.

○ The first MIKTA meeting among the five national agencies for development cooperation scheduled to be held this September will cover in-depth discussion on specific cooperation projects.

7. Leaving Mexico, Deputy Minister Kang will also visit the Commonwealth of Australia and meet with the Deputy Secretary for the Global Cooperation, Development and Partnerships Group in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Clare Walsh, and the Deputy Secretary for the Indo-Pacific Group, Richard Maude, during which the two sides will review the outcome of MIKTA’s activities to date; and discuss in depth MIKTA’s way forward.

* unofficial translation