1. Deputy Minister for Political Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kim Gunn, together with Mr. Kai Sauer, Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Security Policy at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Finland, held the 10^th Republic of Korea-Republic of Finland Policy Consultation in a virtual format on the afternoon of November 18, and had an in-depth discussion on the bilateral relations, the situation on the Korean Peninsula and other regional affairs, collaboration on the international stage, and response to COVID-19.

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2. The two sides noted with appreciation that, despite the difficulties of the COVID-19 situation, they have been cooperating well in innovation areas, including startups, science and technology, and information and communications, pursuant to the agreements reached during President Moon Jae-in’s state visit to Finland in June 2019, and agreed to continue cooperation in such fields as air services, people-to-people exchanges, and the defense industry.

3. The two sides also exchanged views on situations in such regions as the Korean Peninsula, Europe, Northeast Asia, and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Deputy Minister Kim explained the recent developments on the Korean Peninsula and asked Finland to continue supporting the ROK’s North Korea policy for the establishment of permanent peace on Korean Peninsula.

° The two sides agreed to continue cooperation toward the stabilization and development of Afghanistan through international meetings, including the 2020 Afghanistan Conference, which Finland will hold on November 23-24 as a co-host.

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4. The two sides also agreed to collaborate closely on global issues, including strengthening multilateralism, cooperation at international organizations and response to COVID-19.

° Deputy Minister Kim took note that the ROK and Finland have worked closely together in responding to the COVID-19 situation, as seen from the telephone conversation between their Presidents in April, and, in particular, have stepped up international cooperation on health through collaboration at the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as Finland’s accession to the International Vaccine Institute (IVI).

° Under-Secretary of State Sauer suggested that the ROK and Finland contribute together to strengthening multilateralism through cooperation at international organizations, including the UN, based on their shared positions on global issues. Deputy Minister Kim proposed enhancing cooperation toward the success of the 2^nd Partnering for Green Growth and Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit, which will be held in the ROK in 2021.

5. The 10^th ROK-Finland Policy Consultation, held in five years since the 9^th meeting in 2015, carries great significance in that it served as an important opportunity for bilateral coordination on foreign and security policies and, along with the Bilateral Economic Consultations held in September 2019 and the meeting of the Joint Committee on Science and Technology in November 2020, helped reinforce the base of the multilateral collaborative system with Finland in the sectors of foreign affairs and security, economy and science and technology.