- Bilateral Meeting with Director General of the IAEA, and Vice Ministerial Meeting Between Korea and Austria

1. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choi Jongmoon visited Austria on May 28 and met with Mr. Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, and Mr. Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, Secretary-General for Foreign Affairs in the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs.

2. Vice Minister Choi met with Director General Grossi and expressed deep concerns over the Japanese government’s decision to discharge the contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean. Vice Minister Choi emphasized the IAEA’s key role in this issue.

3. Vice Minister Choi and Director General Grossi also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in various areas including international nonproliferation issues and nuclear technology application. The two sides also agreed to maintain close communication going forward.

4. Vice Minister Choi had a bilateral meeting with Secretary-General for Foreign Affairs in the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs Launsky-Tieffenthal and exchanged views on various issues including bilateral relations, high-level exchanges and ways to enhance substantive cooperation.

° The two vice ministers noted with satisfaction that bilateral relations between Korea and Austria have continuously developed in various areas. In commemoration of the 130^th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the two countries next year, both vice ministers voiced hope for stronger cooperation at the bilateral and multilateral levels.