1. On the sidelines of the 69th session of the UN General Assembly, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif on September 26, which marked the first of its kind between the Republic of Korea and Iran in six years. In the meeting, the top diplomats of the two countries discussed bilateral issues and ways to promote the bilateral friendship; and exchanged views on the progress in the negotiations over the Iranian nuclear issue and relevant sanctions as well as the situations in the Middle East and on the Korean Peninsula.

2. The two Ministers took note of the recent increase in high-level exchanges between their two countries, as demonstrated by vice-ministerial policy consultations, the visit to Iran by former National Assembly Speaker Kang Chang-hee and the planned visits to the ROK by Iran’s high-level officials. They shared the view that this trend will contribute to bilateral relations.

3. Minister Yun voiced hope that the negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue will be successfully concluded by the November 24 deadline, leading Iran to contribute to the international community and to move its relations with the ROK dramatically forward.

◦ In addition, Minister Yun, noting that the ROK is paying keen attention to the negotiations in terms of their implications for the North Korean nuclear issue, asked the Iranian government to use the opportunity in a constructive way.

4. In response to the ROK side’s remarks on the North Korean nuclear issue, Minister Zarif highlighted the Iranian government’s clear position that nuclear weapons by no means guarantee security and that there should be no nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula. Minister Yun replied by asking the Iranian government to lead North Korea to make the right choice of abandoning its nuclear programs and focusing on improving the livelihoods of its people. Minister Zarif, speaking of the current relations between Iran and North Korea, made it clear that there is no military cooperation between the two.

5. Minister Zarif emphasized the need to step up economic cooperation between the ROK and Iran. In response, Minister Yun mentioned that pursuant to the recent agreement between the P5+1 and Iran, the ROK had paid for its oil imports from Iran and taken other relevant measures. Minister Yun went on to stress that Korean companies stand ready to enter the Iranian market and step up economic cooperation in diverse fields, when the nuclear negotiations are smoothly concluded. 


                         Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation