1. Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul had a meeting with Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 5, in Warsaw, Poland, on the occasion of Minister Cho’s official visit to Poland. During the meeting and the luncheon that followed, the two Ministers exchanged their views on bilateral relations as well as regional and global issues including the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the war in Ukraine.

2. Minister Cho’s official visit to Poland, which came at the invitation of Minister Sikorski, was the first visit in six years and the first official visit in eighteen years by a Korean Foreign Minister. Minister Cho noted the development in the Korea-Poland Strategic Partnership through mutual visits between their Presidents in 2023 and 2024 and stressed the importance of continuing such frequent high-level exchanges between the two countries.

3. The two Ministers shared the view that Korea-Poland defense collaboration on an unprecedented scale has now become a cornerstone in bilateral relations, and agreed to steadfastly continue cooperation in the defense industry between the two optimal strategic partners in the area of defense and security.

4. Minister Cho explained that the accompaniment of a delegation from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration on his visit to Poland and its participation in the meetings demonstrates the Korean government’s strong commitment and efforts to strengthen defense industry cooperation with Poland. The two Ministers committed to extending all possible support, including holding government-level consultations, to expedite the conclusion of the second executive contract for K2 tanks.

5. Highlighting the deepening bilateral economic cooperation in fields such as energy and infrastructure, Minister Cho stated that trade between Korea and Poland has stably grown, making Poland Korea’s fifth-largest trading partner within the EU as of 2024. On that note, he requested the Polish government’s support in ensuring a stable and conducive environment for Korean companies doing business in and/or with Poland. Minister Sikorski replied that Minister Cho’s request will be taken seriously, stating that Korea has become the second largest non-EU investor and the largest Asian investor in Poland.

6. Sharing the view on the increasing interconnection between the security of Europe and that of the Indo-Pacific, the two Ministers committed to further strengthening trans-regional security cooperation between Europe and the Indo-Pacific, within the framework of partnership between NATO and its Indo-Pacific Four (IP4) partners.

7. The two Ministers strongly condemned North Korea’s continued development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles and provocations, as well as its illegal military cooperation with Russia, emphasizing that these acts pose a threat to the security of not only the Korean Peninsula but the entire world. The two Ministers agreed to continue making closely coordinated firm responses along with the international community to achieve the complete denuclearization of North Korea and improve its human rights situation. Minister Cho strongly stated that North Korea should not be rewarded in any way for its illegal acts, during the Ukraine peace talks.

8. The two Ministers also discussed regional and global issues including the situation in Northeast Asia and the war in Ukraine. Minister Cho commended Poland for its active support for Ukraine as a neighboring nation to Ukraine, and stated that the Korean government will likewise continue its humanitarian and financial assistance to Ukraine while working closely with Poland and the international community to achieve a lasting peace in and support the reconstruction of Ukraine.

9. After the meeting, Minister Cho and Minister Sikorski signed the “Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategic Partnership between the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Government of the Republic of Poland for the years 2025-28” which outlines specific actions for the implementation of the Strategic Partnership. The two Ministers then explained the outcome of the meeting in a joint press briefing.