1. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met with her Latvian counterpart Edgars Rinkēvičs, who is on a visit to the Republic of Korea for the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games, on February 14, and discussed the ROK-Latvia relations, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and cooperation on the global stage.

2. The two Ministers said that the visit to the ROK by President of Latvia Raimonds Vējonis for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics will contribute to enhancing high-level exchanges and the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries, and agreed to continue to work together in a range of areas, including trade and investment affairs, as well as people-to-people exchanges, in order to faithfully implement measures to follow up on the ROK-Latvia summit meeting (February 13).

※ A number of high-level Latvian officials, including the President, the Foreign Minister and the Minister for Economics, visited the ROK during the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games. Prior to the ROK-Latvia Foreign Ministers’ meeting, the ROK-Latvia summit meeting took place on February 13.

3. Minister Kang asked for the Latvian side’s continued interest and cooperation to make sure that inter-Korean talks which started on the occasion of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics make a positive contribution to creating conditions for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Minister Kang also stressed that the international community’s united efforts to denuclearize North Korea must continue.

4. Foreign Minister Rinkēvičs took note that the PyeongChang Winter Olympics is being held successfully, and hoped that the inter-Korean talks which began on the occasion of the Olympics will contribute to resolving the North Korean nuclear issue peacefully. He also said that the Latvian government will actively participate in the international community’s efforts to implement sanctions on North Korea.

5. The two Ministers also exchanged views on ways to increase cooperation on the global stage, including the UN.

6. The ROK-Latvia Foreign Ministers’ meeting, which marked the first between the two Ministers, served as an opportunity to discuss ways to advance the bilateral relations, including in political and economic affairs, as well as step up bilateral cooperation on the global stage.

* unofficial translation