1. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, who is on a visit to Davos, the Swiss Confederation, to attend the World Economic Forum (known as Davos Forum), met with Foreign Minister of the Republic of Iraq Mohamed Ali Al Hakim on January 24, and exchanged views on the current relations between the Republic of Korea and Iraq, ways to increase substantive cooperation, and the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in other regions.

2. Minister Kang congratulated Mohamed Ali Al Hakim on becoming the new Foreign Minister following the launch of the new Iraqi government in October last year, and voiced hope that the relations between the ROK and Iraq, marking the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, would expand and advance further through the visit to Iraq by President Moon Jae-in’s special envoy next week.

o Foreign Minister Al Hakim welcomed the special envoy’s visit to Iraq, and hoped that with this year marking the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, which had continued to increase, would be facilitated further.

3. Minister Kang stressed that Korean companies played their roles in developing the Iraqi economy by actively participating in infrastructure and plant construction projects in Iraq. She asked for the Iraqi side’s interest and support to help more Korean companies safely participate in Iraq’s reconstruction market, as the country’s reconstruction efforts began in earnest with the situation stabilizing since the launch of the new government.

o Foreign Minister Al Hakim took note that Korean companies had played many roles in the reconstruction and economic development of Iraq, including housing construction, and hoped to continue to increase exchanges and cooperation with the ROK with advanced capabilities in high technology, education and healthcare, as the new Iraqi government is placing emphasis on those areas.

4. Foreign Minister Al Hakim said that the situation in Iraq was stabilizing after the country declared final victory over the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in December 2017, and asked for the ROK side’s continued support and cooperation regarding Iraq’s reconstruction and stabilization.

o Minister Kang said that the ROK would continue humanitarian assistance to join the international community’s efforts to help Iraq restore stability as soon as possible.

5. Minister Kang explained the ROK government’s efforts to completely denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and to establish a lasting peace on the Peninsula, and asked for Iraq’s continued support. Foreign Minister Al Hakim took note of the ROK government’s leading efforts to make progress in inter-Korean relations, and said that his country would continue to support the efforts.

* unofficial translation