- Participation in the EU-Indo-Pacific Foreign Ministers’ Meeting -

- Adoption of the MIKTA Vision Statement and Joint Statement on the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel –

During his visit to New York for the High-Level Week of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun attended the "EU-Indo-Pacific Foreign Ministers' Meeting" at 3:30 p.m. and the "30th MIKTA Foreign Ministers' Meeting" at 7:00 p.m. on September 21 (local time). During the meetings, he discussed with major partner countries ways to respond to key international issues and strengthen cooperation in the multilateral arena.

First, at the EU-Indo-Pacific Foreign Ministers' Meeting, held under the theme 'Effective Multilateralism and Stronger Security Cooperation,' participants emphasized the importance of the rules-based international order amid growing uncertainty in the global security environment and discussed ways to address common security challenges.

※ Key participants included Penny Wong (Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia), Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (Minister of External Affairs of India), Kazuya Endo (Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan), Kaja Kallas (EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy), and foreign ministers or high-level representatives of EU member states.

Minister Cho noted that Korea and the EU have been working together to address global security threats through the adoption of the Security and Defense Partnership in 2024 and the holding of two rounds of the Security and Defense Dialogue since then. He also expressed concern over deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia and emphasized the importance of strengthening security cooperation between the EU and the Indo-Pacific region.

Participants shared this assessment and agreed that cooperation among like-minded countries across the two regions has become more crucial than ever to uphold freedom of navigation and strengthen multilateralism and the rules-based international order.

At the subsequent 30th MIKTA Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, discussions were held on ‘ways to better align UN mandates, resources, and institutions through UN reform’ and ‘cooperative measures among middle powers to strengthen multilateralism.’

※ MIKTA: A cross-regional consultative body comprising Mexico, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Türkiye, and Australia. It was launched in September 2013 on the occasion of the 68th session of the UN General Assembly.

※ Participants: H.E. Cho Hyun (Minister of Foreign Affairs of Korea), H.E. Roberto Velasco Álvarez (Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico), H.E. Penny Wong (Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia), H.E. Sugiono (Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia), H.E. Hakan Fidan (Minister of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye)

Minister Cho emphasized that UN reform. including the reform of the Security Council, is essential for the UN to be reborn as a more effective organization. He also stressed that amidst the growing global uncertainties, MIKTA should deliver tangible outcomes in areas of common interest, such as AI and trade. In response, the MIKTA member states agreed to seek concrete cooperative measures to address global issues, fully leveraging MIKTA’s strengths as a consultative body of middle powers bridging diverse regions.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministers of the five MIKTA countries adopted the “MIKTA Vision Statement” and the “Joint Statement on the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel and Humanitarian Action from Misinformation, Disinformation, and Harmful Narratives” at the meeting, reaffirming their commitment to cooperation in areas including the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reform of the international trading system, and humanitarian activities.

The two Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held today provided an opportunity for Korea to discuss ways to jointly address global issues with its key European partners and middle powers from different regions, while further developing cooperation on UN reform and strengthening multilateralism. The Korean government will continue to expand the scope of its cooperation with diverse countries and pursue multilateral diplomacy to address common challenges facing the international community.