1. Minister of Foreign Affairs Chung Eui-yong spoke over the phone with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on March 5 for the first time since his inauguration, and exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, including high-level exchanges and substantive cooperative relations between Korea and Turkey; public health cooperation including COVID-19 response; and Korean Peninsula affairs.

2. The two Foreign Ministers took note of close cooperation between the two countries in infrastructure, including the Çanakkale Bridge construction project, and agreed to continue mutually-beneficial cooperation to further deepen substantive cooperation in trade and economic cooperation.

o The two sides noted with appreciation that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Korea and Turkey, which have established the strategic partnership, have been continuing high-level exchanges including two telephone conversations between the leaders of the two countries in 2020.

3. Foreign Minister Chung hoped to make tangible progress in the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the Korean Peninsula peace process through cooperation with the international community including Turkey. Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey will continue to actively support the Korean government’s efforts to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula.

4. The two sides also agreed on the need to explore close cooperation between the two countries in public health, including COVID-19 response.