1. Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang, Kyung-wha had a telephone conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq Mohammed Ali Al Hakim on the evening of March 3. In the telephone conversation, Minister Kang explained the exact situation regarding the COVID-19 outbreak in the Republic of Korea as well as the measures the ROK government is taking, and asked for a prompt withdrawal of Iraq’s entry ban on Korean nationals.

o Minister Kang explained in detail that the ROK government is making government-wide, all-out efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 based on its world-class capabilities for diagnosis and epidemiological investigation.

o In particular, Minister Kang stressed that Korean businessmen are contributing to Iraq’s economy by participating in the country’s reconstruction projects, and asked the Iraqi government to reconsider its entry ban on Korean businessmen.

2. Minister Al Hakim expressed gratitude for Minister Kang’s detailed explanation and highly appreciated the ROK’s transparent and open response. He went on to explain that the measure was inevitable for Iraq to prepare for a possible public health crisis, and said that Iraq will look into ways to help Korean businessmen enter the country without inconvenience.

3. The two Ministers shared the view that the ROK and Iraq will be able to overcome the current situation together based on the friendship and trust between the two countries, and agreed to continue close communication between the governments of the two countries.