1. Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang, Kyung-wha had a telephone conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan Sirodjiddin Muhriddin on the afternoon of June 2 at the latter’s request and exchanged views on ways for cooperation on COVID-19 response as well as pending issues between the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Tajikistan.

2. Minister Kang explained that the COVID-19 situation has lately been improving in the ROK, but, amid the emergence of some cases of community transmission, the ROK has been maintaining vigilance, including by continuing its “distancing in everyday life” campaign for thorough disease prevention and control.

3. Minister Muhriddin highly commended the ROK government’s capacity for disease prevention and control, extended appreciation to the ROK for rendering cooperation to Tajikistan on its COVID-19 response through humanitarian assistance, and voiced hope for continued cooperation between the two countries in overcoming the COVID-19 crisis.

° Minister Kang, sharing the view on the importance of cooperation between the two countries in the course of responding to COVID-19, mentioned that the ROK will continue to share with the international community, including Tajikistan, the experience it has accumulated in the process of controlling COVID-19.

4. The two Ministers noted with appreciation that the first visit to Tajikistan by an ROK Prime Minister in July 2019 had helped achieve great progress in the bilateral relations, and agreed to also step up cooperation on the multilateral level, including through the Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum.