Outcome of Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan’s Visit to NATO
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2010-05-11
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1. Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan currently on a visit to Belgium visited NATO Headquarters and
met with NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on May 11. Minister Yu also addressed
the ambassadors of NATO’s 28 members at a North Atlantic Council meeting.
2. During a meeting with the Secretary-General, Minister Yu explained the current security situation
on the Korean peninsula, including the North Korean nuclear issue and the Cheonan incident.
Secretary-General Rasmussen explained NATO’s transformation efforts to cope with the new 21st
century security environment, and the New Strategic Concept, which will be adopted as part of such
efforts at the Portugal summit in November, 2010. Also, the two sides agreed to further strengthen
Korea-NATO cooperation including Korea’s operation of Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in
Afghanistan.
o NATO’s New Strategic Concept, a document that replaces the current strategic concept adopted
at NATO’s 50th anniversary summit in 1999, is expected to provide guidelines for NATO's role and the
directions of its transformation in the 21st century security environment, and to include the expansion
of partnership with non-NATO countries and the reinforcement of relations with Russia and the EU.
3. During his address to NATO's North Atlantic Council, Minister Yu explained the current security
situation on the Korean peninsula, including the North Korean nuclear issue and the Cheonan
incident, and asked for support and cooperation regarding our security policy on the Korean peninsula.
He also explained Korea’s foreign policy on contribution to the international community, including
contribution to stabilization and reconstruction in Afghanistan.
4. Minister Yu’s visit to NATO, a strong regional security organization playing a crucial role in global
security under the new 21st century security environment, is seen to have further strengthened
Korea-NATO relations by improving NATO’s understanding of security issues on the Korean
peninsula and discussing ways to cooperate on issues of common interest, including terrorism,
non-proliferation of WMD, and piracy.
Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFAT
* unofficial translation