Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun held a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the evening of March 16 at the request of the U.S. side and exchanged views on the recent situation in the Middle East and ROK-U.S. relations.

Secretary Rubio briefed Minister Cho on the current situation in the Middle East and its future outlook, and requested the ROK’s attention and support on efforts to restore peace and stability in the region. In particular, Secretary Rubio emphasized that cooperation among countries is more important than ever to ensure security in the Strait of Hormuz in the long term and to stabilize the global economy and international oil prices, and proposed that the two sides continue close communication to that end.

Minister Cho expressed condolences over the loss of U.S. service members in the Middle East, and underscored that peace in the region, as well as free and safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, is of great importance to the security and economy of all countries, including the Republic of Korea. He suggested that the two sides continue close consultations in this regard. Minister Cho also expressed appreciation for the U.S. side’s active cooperation in ensuring the safe return of Korean nationals in the region. He requested continued attention and support on this matter and Secretary Rubio expressed his willingness to cooperate actively.

The two sides agreed to meet in the near future for in-depth discussions regarding coordination on global issues as well as ongoing issues in ROK-U.S. relations.