1. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se will hold the first Republic of Korea-France Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development of France Jean-Marc Ayrault on March 24.

2. In the upcoming Strategic Dialogue, the two Ministers will engage in extensive discussions on the ROK-France relations; issues on the Korean Peninsula, including the North Korean nuclear issue; and regional and global issues. The two sides will also explore ways to pursue future-oriented strategic cooperation between the ROK and France, which mark the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

3. Ahead of the Strategic Dialogue on March 24, the two Ministers will attend the opening ceremony of the first ROK-France Leaders’ Forum, co-hosted by the ROK-France Club and the France-ROK Club, and deliver keynote speeches under the theme “130 years of the ROK-France relations: retrospect and prospect.”

4. Minister Ayrault, who will make a visit to the ROK from March 23 to 25, previously visited the ROK as Mayor of Nantes in 2009 and as Prime Minister in 2013. During his upcoming visit to the ROK, Minister Ayrault is expected to contribute to advancing the ROK-France comprehensive partnership for the 21st century, including by attending the launching ceremony of the “Year of France in Korea,” which celebrates the 130th anniversary of the ROK-France diplomatic relations.


* unofficial translation