1. On September 2, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun held his first telephone conversation with New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters since he took office. The two ministers discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations as well as recent regional and global developments.

2. The ministers appreciated the continued high-level engagements between the two countries including their leaders’ phone call on July 1 following the inauguration of the new Korean administration, and affirmed their commitment to continued communication toward elevating their bilateral relationship to  Comprehensive Strategic Partnership this year, as discussed by their leaders.

3. Minister Peters congratulated Minister Cho on his inauguration and expressed New Zealand’s interest in deepening cooperation with Korea across a wide range of areas. Minister Cho affirmed Korea’s commitment to strengthening ties with like-minded partners based on pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interests, and requested New Zealand’s active support for the success of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Gyeongju later this year.

4. The ministers also exchanged views on developments on the Korean Peninsula and other regions, and agreed to meet in person in the near future to discuss ways to further advance bilateral cooperation.