1. On the sidelines of the ASEAN-related foreign ministerial meetings 2016 in Laos from July 24 to 26, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met with Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar in the Laotian capital of Vientiane on July 24. In their meeting, the two top diplomats exchanged views on the Republic of Korea-Myanmar relations across the board, the North Korean nuclear issue and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

2. The two Ministers shared the view that the ROK and Myanmar, which had marked their 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2015, have been seeing a growing momentum for a fresh leap in their relations since the launch of the new government in Myanmar on March 30. They agreed to further increase high-level exchanges between their two countries to keep the momentum growing.

° In particular, Minister Yun noted with appreciation that the ROK-Myanmar trade ministerial meeting during the visit of Minister for Commerce Than Myint to the ROK from July 4 to 6 had served as an opportunity to promote bilateral economic cooperation.

3. Minister Yun brought attention to the fact that the ROK is currently conducting and will continue conducting development cooperation projects in Myanmar’s agricultural sector -- including those involving the establishment of the Myanmar Development Institute (MDI) and other human capacity-building projects as well as the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)’s agricultural community development project -- in a way that meets the needs of Myanmar.

° In response, Minister Aung San Suu Kyi extended appreciation to the ROK government for its official development assistance (ODA); brought attention to the Myanmarese government’s pursuit of development in a way that harmonizes with environmental preservation; and voiced hope to work with the ROK in the construction of infrastructure related to transportation and energy.

5. With regard to the North Korean nuclear issue, Minister Yun explained in detail the situation on the Korean Peninsula, including recent developments in North Korea regarding its nuclear and missile programs as well as inter-Korean relations; and underscored the need for the international community to send to North Korea the consistent and firm message that the North must abandon its nuclear ambitions.

° Minister Yun extended appreciation to the Myanmarese government for issuing its first, strong statement in response to North Korea’s fourth nuclear test and for cooperating in implementing measures under UN Security Council resolutions.

6. The ROK-Myanmar foreign ministerial meeting on July 24, the first of its kind since the launch of the new government in Myanmar on March 30, is seen to have served as an opportunity to further develop the relations between the two countries that had marked their 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2015.


* unofficial translation