1. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, who is in Brazilia accompanying President Park Geun-hye on her Latin America tour, had a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State John Kerry on April 23, local time.

2. The Minister and the Secretary welcomed the initialing of the Republic of Korea-United States Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, which had taken place in Seoul on April 22, and shared the view that the agreement will serve as a strategic framework for upgrading bilateral cooperation in the nuclear energy sector. Furthermore, the two top diplomats agreed that the agreement, by producing win-win results through a method unprecedentedly creative compared to its counterparts between other countries, will serve as a historic milestone for strengthening the bilateral alliance.

3. The Minister and the Secretary, considering that their two countries had reached the agreement after two years of intensive negotiations based on their deep mutual trust, agreed to sign the agreement as soon as possible.

◦ Secretary Kerry expressed satisfaction with the fact that the two top diplomats, led by their keenly interested leaders, had worked closely together to help their negotiating teams overcome many obstacles.

4. The two top diplomats exchanged views on the recent agreement reached between the P5+1 and Iran on the key parameters of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) regarding Iran’s nuclear program. Minister Yun, after commending Secretary Kerry for his leadership and initiative, voiced hope that a comprehensive agreement on the JCPoA would be produced before the deadline in a significant step forward in global efforts for nuclear non-proliferation.

5. The Minister and the Secretary shared the view that the visit of President Park Geun-hye to the US planned for 2015, like the bilateral summit talks in 2013 and 2014, will serve as another important opportunity for the bilateral alliance to take a leap. They agreed to consult with each other more closely and have preparations be made at various levels with a view to making a success of President Park’s forthcoming visit to the US.

6. The two sides also exchanged views on the current situation in Northeast Asia and other key matters of mutual concern. In view of the year 2015 as a year with great symbolic significance in terms of international politics and for Northeast Asia, they agreed to make various efforts for countries in the region to heal conflicts among them stemming from their shared history and thereby enhance trust in one another.

* unofficial translation