1. Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Yeo Seung Bae attended the 6th Korea-Visegrad Group (V4) meeting of deputy ministers for political affairs in Budapest, Hungary, on September 17. Korea and the V4 countries exchanged views on ways to further promote cooperation between the two sides as well as regional and global affairs including issues of the Korean Peninsula, Afghanistan and Europe.

2. Deputy Minister Yeo noted with satisfaction that, since the launch of the Korea-V4 consultative body in 2014, Korea-V4 relations have continued to develop at various levels including the heads of government, foreign ministers, vice ministers of defense, and deputy ministers for political affairs, and suggested various ways to deepen Korea-V4 cooperative relations.

° Deputy Minister Yeo said that Korea will keep promoting the Knowledge Sharing Program (KSP) to share Korea’s economic development experience and continue its contribution to the International Visegrad Cooperation Fund (IVF). He also requested that the V4 countries join the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) in order to ensure equitable access to and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

° The V4 side extended gratitude for the active investment by Korean companies in the V4 countries and expressed hope to expand cooperation in joint research, R&D and innovation with Korean companies with advanced technology in infrastructure and ICT.

° In addition, the two sides agreed to make efforts to further expand substantive cooperation in various fields such as science and technology, youth exchanges, Korean language courses and cultural exchanges, and extensively discussed the situations in Afghanistan, the EU and NATO.

3. Deputy Minister Yeo asked the V4 side to communicate closely with the Korean EV and EV battery companies investing in the V4 countries to ensure that they prepare well for the EU’s climate change policy, Fit for 55. With regard to the EU Commission’s ongoing in-depth review of subsidies for Korean companies, he asked for the interest and support of the V4 side so that Korean companies can receive subsidies as promised.

4. The 6th Korea-V4 meeting of deputy ministers for political affairs, which marked the first resumed face-to-face diplomatic activity with the V4 countries after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, is seen to have served as an opportunity to discuss ways to strengthen Korea-V4 relations and explore ways to hold on a regular and systematic basis consultations with the V4, the fastest growing countries in Europe.