1. On the sidelines of the ASEAN-related foreign ministerial meetings 2016 in Vientiane, Laos, from July 24 to 26, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met bilaterally with Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith of Laos in Vientiane on July 24. In their meeting, the two top diplomats exchanged views on the Republic of Korea-Laos relations across the board, ways to step up development cooperation, and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

2. Minister Yun offered congratulations to Laos on the launch of its new government in April 2016 and its ASEAN chairmanship in 12 years since 2004. The two Ministers noted with appreciation the rapidly growing economic cooperation on trade and investment and private exchanges during the past twenty years since the re-establishment of diplomatic relations in 1995.

° The Minister, hailing the formal agreement, reached during the visit of Laos’ national defense delegation to the ROK in late June, to dispatch military attaches to each other’s countries, voiced hope for a stronger bilateral cooperation on national defense.

3. The two Ministers drew a common understanding that in order to develop their bilateral relations, the two countries should seek to further step up strategic communication through robust high-level exchanges. In that light, Minister Saleumxay noted with appreciation that Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn’s visit to Laos in December 2015 had helped build a momentum for a stronger substantive cooperation and expressed hope for President Park Geun-hye’s visit to Laos for the ASEAN-related summit meetings in September.

4. Minister Saleumxay extended gratitude to the ROK government for rendering assistance with various development cooperation projects in such areas as economy, the development of human resources and healthcare. Minister Yun expressed expectation that these projects will bear fruit and thereby contribute to Laos’ national development.

5. With regard to the North Korean nuclear issue, Minister Yun extended appreciation to Laos for its thorough implementation of UN Security Council resolutions and contribution in the lead-up to ASEAN issuing a strong statement on North Korea, and asked Laos to cooperate as ASEAN chair in 2016 for the international community to send a clear message to North Korea on the occasions of the ASEAN-related foreign ministerial meetings 2016.

° Minister Saleumxay responded that Laos, as a UN member state, will faithfully implement UN Security Council resolutions.

6. The ROK-Laos foreign ministerial meeting on July 24, the first of its kind since the launch of the new government in Laos, is seen to have served as an opportunity to enhance the friendship between the two Foreign Ministers and to affirm the two countries’ commitment to deepen the ROK-ASEAN partnership.


* unofficial translation