1. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met with his Myanmarese counterpart Wunna Maung Lwin in Seoul on April 6 for an in-depth discussion on ways to advance the relations between the Republic of Korea and Myanmar that mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2015.

2. Minister Yun expressed appreciation to President Thein Sein of Myanmar for his contribution as ASEAN chair for 2014 toward the success of the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit held in Busan in December 2014. He also noted with appreciation that President Park Geun-hye and President Thein Sein met bilaterally on the sidelines of the funeral ceremony of late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore on March 29 and exchanged valuable views, thereby enhancing the trust between them.

3. Minister Yun, citing the visits to Myanmar by National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa and Chairwoman Na Kyung-won of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee as well as the one to the ROK by Minister Wunna Maung Lwin, brought attention to the fact that robust high-level exchanges are leading to strong cooperation between the two countries.

4. Minister Wunna Maung Lwin, citing the operations of many Korean companies in Myanmar and close bilateral cooperation in development through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), called the ROK a highly important country to Myanmar. He went on to voice hope that the ROK, through close development cooperation with Myanmar, will help the latter country achieve economic development, including increased investment and the creation of more jobs.

◦ Minister Yun, calling Myanmar one of the major recipient countries of the ROK’s official development assistance (ODA), took note of the growing bilateral cooperation in the sectors of economy and development.

5. Minister Yun commended Myanmar for its cooperation as the ASEAN chair in sending a clear and strong message on North Korean issues through the Joint Statement of the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in 2014. He asked Minister Wunna Maung Lwin to continue playing an active role in discussions on North Korean issues at ASEAN.

◦ Minister Wunna Maung Lwin expressed willingness to work with the ROK in that regard.

6. With regard to the general election to be held in Myanmar in late 2015, Minister Yun commented that it will serve as a significant touchstone for the democratic development in Myanmar, conveying hope that the election will take place in a free and fair manner under the leadership of the Myanmarese government.

7. The two Foreign Ministers have met with each other frequently, including on the sidelines of multilateral events, to discuss key bilateral issues. The meeting on April 8 carries great significance in that on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the two sides reaffirmed their willingness to take their friendly and cooperative ties to the next level at the ASEAN and on other international stages. 


               Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation