1. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Yoon Young-kwan and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian 
Federation Igor S. Ivanov held the ROK-Russia Foreign Ministers' Talks, while participating in the 58th United 
Nations General Assembly in New York, on September 23, 2003.

 
2. It was the first ROK-Russia Foreign Ministers' Talks to be held since the launching of the Roh Moo-hyun 
administration.  The two ministers took this opportunity to note the amicable development of the ROK-Russia 
relations celebrating the 13th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, and exchanged views on a 
wide range of issues including bilateral cooperation regarding North Korea's nuclear issue, ways to further 
promote substantial cooperation between the two countries, and the situation in Iraq.

 
3. The two ministers also shared the view that the six-party talks, which was held in Beijing in August, 
provided a lucrative milestone for the peaceful resolution of North Korea's nuclear issue, and that the second 
session of the six-party talks must take place at an early date so as to maintain the momentum of dialogue.  
They agreed to continue close consultations in the process of resolving North Korea's nuclear issue in a 
peaceful manner.

 
4. Minister Ivanov officially invited Minister Yoon to Russia, and Minister Yoon promised to visit Russia at an 
earliest possible date.

                                                                   Spokesperson of MOFAT

* unofficial translation