1. Director-General for European Affairs Kim Pil-woo had a meeting with Mr. Georgiy Zinoviev, Director of the First Asian Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, in Moscow on November 22. The two sides discussed the Republic of Korea-Russian Federation relations, pending issues regarding substantive cooperation, and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

2. The two directors-general noted with appreciation that the ROK and Russia, which will mark the 30^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the ROK and Russia in 2020, have smoothly been developing their friendly and cooperative ties, including by boosting summit diplomacy and other high-level exchanges, expanding trade and people-to-people exchanges, and promoting substantive cooperation.

° The two directors-general noted that, over the past two and a half years, the two countries have continued cooperation and communication in various areas, including political affairs, economy and culture, through the five summits and active high-level exchanges between the governments and the parliaments.

° The two directors-general expressed satisfaction over the bilateral trade volume having reached 18.92 billion USD as of September 2019, up 7.4% from the same period of the previous year (17.62 billion USD), as well as the increasing people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, mainly in the Russian Far East.

° The two directors-general welcomed such progress as the formation of an implementation working group according to the “Action Plan for the Nine-Bridge Korean Russian Trade and Economic Cooperation,” which had been signed in February 2019. They agreed to faithfully pursue cooperation in such main areas as shipbuilding, industrial complexes, and health and medical care.

° The two directors-general took note that in their negotiations for the Agreement on Free Trade in Services and Investments between the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation, the two countries are discussing ways to expand trade and investment bases in order to develop future growth engines. They voiced hope that the negotiations would move smoothly forward and be substantively concluded by 2020, the year of the 30^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the ROK and Russia.

° The two directors-general agreed to make joint efforts to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between people of the two countries and take the bilateral relations to the next level by successfully preparing and holding various cultural events in commemoration of the year 2020 -- “the Year of Mutual Exchanges between the ROK and the Russian Federation” and the 30^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the ROK and Russia.

3. During the meeting, the two directors-general also exchanged views on the recent developments on the Korean Peninsula and agreed to continue to work together in achieving substantive progress toward complete denuclearization and the establishment of permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.

4. On a side note, a meeting of the heads of the ROK’s diplomatic missions in Russia took place in Moscow on the afternoon of November 22. With the year 2020 marking the 30^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the ROK and Russia, the mission heads discussed in depth ways to develop and strengthen the relationship with Russia, the ROK’s pivotal partner for its New Northern Policy.