1. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choi Jong Kun, together with Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and for Ibero-America and the Caribbean of Spain Cristina Gallach, held the 2nd Korea-Spain Strategic Dialogue in a virtual format at 17:00-18:30, December 3. In the Strategic Dialogue, they discussed in depth the development of the relations between Korea and Spain, of which this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, cooperation in response to COVID-19, ways to step up substantive cooperation in the fields of economy, environment, science and technology, and situations in such regions as the Korean Peninsula and Europe.

2. The Vice Minister and the Secretary of State celebrated the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Korea-Spain diplomatic relations this year and noted with appreciation that the two countries are continuing efforts for communication and cooperation, including high-level exchanges, even amid the difficult situation due to COVID-19.

3. The Vice Minister and the Secretary of State took note that the two countries have worked closely together in the course of responding to COVID-19. Vice Minister Choi extended appreciation to the Spanish government for its cooperation in facilitating the repatriation of the Korean nationals stranded in Equatorial Guinea via a chartered Spanish plane in April 2020.

° Secretary of State Gallach mentioned that Korea’s sharing of experiences in disease prevention and control was highly helpful in responding to COVID-19, and expressed gratitude to the Korean government, saying that Spain could successfully carry out regional elections with Korea’s assistance in July 2020.

° The Vice Minister and the Secretary of State, sharing the position that vaccines are international public goods in nature, agreed to work together toward a universal and equitable global distribution of vaccines.

4. The Vice Minister and the Secretary of State noted that Korea’s “Green New Deal” policy and the “European Green Deal” policy carried out by Spain at the EU level have the common goal of environment-friendly and inclusive growth, and agreed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in overcoming COVID-19 and achieving “green recovery,” which have lately emerged as key issues.

5. The Vice Minister and the Secretary of State conveyed satisfaction that people-to-people exchanges between the two countries are steadily increasing and agreed to work together so that a larger number of Spaniards would visit Korea, facilitating a balanced development of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

6. The Vice Minister and the Secretary of State agreed to further enhance cooperation in the fields of science and technology, in which the two countries have strength, including the Fourth Industrial Revolution, research and development (R&D), and new and renewable energy. They also agreed to actively support mutually beneficial cooperation through joint entry into the construction and infrastructure sectors of third countries, including in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and Africa.

7. Vice Minister Choi, by holding a vice-ministerial Strategic Dialogue with both Italy and Spain, the two countries with which Korea has regular vice-ministerial strategic dialogue among the 27 EU member states, is continuing close strategic communication and cooperation with major European countries even amid the COVID-19 situation.

° Next week, Vice Minister Choi will hold a Korea-EU High-level Policy Dialogue in a virtual format with Mr. Enrique Mora Benavente, Deputy Secretary General for Political Affairs of the European External Action Service (EEAS), and discuss ways for Korea-EU cooperation.