1. On the afternoon of October 28, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choi Jong Kun had his first meeting with the Ambassadors of the five Central Asian countries to the Republic of Korea since taking office and exchanged views on ways for cooperation between the ROK and Central Asia in implementing the New Northern Policy as well as collaboration on COVID-19.

2. Vice Minister Choi mentioned that the Central Asian countries are main partners for the ROK’s New Northern Policy and particularly noted with appreciation that the visits to three Central Asian countries by the ROK President and the first visit to two Central Asian countries by an ROK Prime Minister since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2019 had served as opportunities to expand the ROK-Central Asia cooperation across the board.

° In particular, Vice Minister Choi took note that the ROK and the Central Asian countries, in addition to their economic cooperation, have been working actively together in various areas by building on sentimental and historical similarities.

3. Vice Minister Choi extended appreciation to the Central Asian countries for their active cooperation on the return of Korean nationals as well as on the entry of business people despite restrictions on cross-border exchanges due to the COVID-19 situation. He went on to suggest continuing close collaboration on COVID-19 response, including in essential people-to-people exchanges and disease prevention and control.

° The participants expressed gratitude to the ROK government for fully supporting the Central Asian countries in overcoming COVID-19 by providing quarantine equipment in humanitarian assistance and sharing experiences in disease prevention and control, and voiced hope to continue cooperation.

4. Vice Minister Choi and the Ambassadors from the Central Asian countries noted with appreciation that the Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum, launched in 2007, has contributed to the ROK-Central Asia cooperation in diverse areas, and agreed to effectively hold the 13^th Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum, scheduled for November, in an effort for the Forum to become another impetus for deepening cooperation between the two regions.

5. Vice Minister Choi stressed that Minister for Trade Yoo Myung-hee, who had advanced to the final round of the selection process for the next Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), is a well-qualified candidate who can restore trust in the multilateral trade system through solidarity among countries, and asked for the Central Asian countries’ support for Minister Yoo.

6. Vice Minister Choi and the other participants, recognizing the need to further step up communication between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ambassadors of the Central Asian countries amid the COVID-19 situation, agreed to make concerted efforts to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation with a focus on the ROK’s New Northern Policy.