1. Foreign Minister
Park Jin and Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna held the 4th ROK-France
Foreign Ministerial Strategic Dialogue in Seoul on April 14th. The Ministers
had in-depth discussions on the overall bilateral relationship, the potential
for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, and a range of regional and global
issues.
2. The Ministers reaffirmed their will to further
strengthen the Korea-France Comprehensive Partnership for the 21st Century
between the two Governments through active high-level exchanges and concrete
projects for cooperation, particularly in the fields of civil nuclear energy,
space, renewable energy, digital technology, aeronautics and low-carbon
mobility. They also welcomed the signing of the Protocol Amending the Agreement
on the mobility of business people and trainees, which will be a valuable basis
for further promoting economic and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
3. The Ministers noted
that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the armistice of the Korean War,
in which Korean and French Forces fought for freedom and peace on the Korean
Peninsula. They expressed their satisfaction that close cooperation has been
taking place in the field of defense and security including the Defense
Strategy Dialogue.
4. The Ministers agreed, amidst the increasing importance of economic
security,
to strengthen cooperation in enhancing supply chain resilience and enhancing technological
competitiveness. They also shared the view that shared efforts between the
public and private sectors should continue to be enhanced in future strategic
industries such as nuclear power, space, and information technology.
5. The Ministers recognized that their respective Indo-Pacific strategies share the values of freedom,
democracy, rule
of law and human rights, and that there are many areas with great potential for
collaboration such as climate change response, support for Pacific Island Countries,
and maritime security. Minister Colonna welcomed the “Strategy for a Free,
Peaceful and Prosperous Indo-Pacific Region” adopted by the ROK. Minister Park
recognized the commitment of France, a fully fledged Indo-Pacific country, to
the preservation of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, where international
rules are respected. They agreed on the importance of closer cooperation in the
implementation of their respective Indo-Pacific strategies and asked their
administrations to work together toward this end.
6. The Ministers
condemned the DPRK’s unlawful ballistic missile launches, including yesterday’s
launch of what DPRK claimed to be a new type of solid fuel ICBM, as well as
threatening rhetoric regarding nuclear weapons use and emphasized the need for
the international community’s firm and united response to the DPRK’s
provocations. They stated, once again, that the DPRK cannot and will never have
the status of a nuclear-weapon State in accordance with the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. They reiterated their shared objective
that the DPRK abandon all nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, and related
programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. They reaffirmed
the importance of blocking the DPRK’s illicit revenue streams by clamping down,
among others, on its illegal cyber activities and ensuring the full
implementation of the UNSCRs by all UN member States, including the
repatriation of DPRK overseas workers. They also, noting that this year marks the 10th
anniversary of the establishment of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Human
Rights in the DPRK, underscored the importance of raising awareness on DPRK
human rights issues. Minister Colonna reaffirmed France’s solidarity with
the Republic of Korea and France’s continued support for the ROK government's
Audacious Initiative and its efforts for denuclearization of the DPRK.
7. The Ministers emphasized that Ukraine’s
sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence should be respected.
Stressing the importance of united efforts by the international community to
support Ukraine, they agreed to continue to work together closely on this
issue, including humanitarian assistance and the process of rebuilding and
rehabilitating Ukraine.
8. The Ministers exchanged views on global issues
including climate change, environment, development cooperation and health, and
agreed to further deepen the shared efforts going forward. In particular, they
confirmed their commitment to working closely in the field of development
cooperation projects in the Indo-Pacific region. /End/