1. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, who is participating in the 68th session of the UN General Assembly, met with Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan Erlan B. Abdyldaev on September 26. The two Ministers discussed major bilateral issues, including high-level exchanges and the “ROK-Central Asia Cooperation Forum” (October 4 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan), as well as ways to increase projects for substantive cooperation between the ROK and Kyrgyzstan.

2. Minister Yun noted that since the establishment of permanent diplomatic missions in each other’s country in 2008, bilateral exchanges have been increasing in a variety of areas. In particular, concerning the “ROK-Central Asia Cooperation Forum” to be held in October in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Minister Yun expressed his appreciation for Kyrgyzstan’s active participation and stated that the Forum will serve as a good opportunity to find specific areas for cooperation between the ROK and Central Asia and to further strengthen bilateral relations.

3. In addition, the two sides discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas, including energy and resources, agriculture, medical care, culture and development. On cooperation in agriculture, Minister Abdyldaev spoke highly of the ROK’s construction of greenhouses equipped with cutting-edge technology and its operation of training programs on agriculture technology through the “ROK-Kyrgyzstan Agriculture Center.”

4. The ROK and Kyrgyzstan have continuously promoted bilateral friendship since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992. The two sides are actively working to enhance substantive cooperation after taking various measures to establish the legal basis for promoting people-to-people exchanges and economic cooperation, including the opening of permanent diplomatic missions in each other’s country in 2008 and the conclusion of a visa waiver agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders in 2011 and the ROK-Kyrgyzstan double taxation avoidance agreement in 2012. 


                  Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

*unofficial translation