1. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha talked to Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee of New Zealand over the phone on July 24, during which the two top diplomats exchanged views on ways to tighten the Republic of Korea-New Zealand relations as well as on nuclear and other issues of North Korea.

2. Minister Brownlee offered congratulations to Minister Kang on taking office; noted with appreciation the progress in the friendly and cooperative relations between the ROK and New Zealand in various sectors; and, in particular, expressed satisfaction with the progress in the economic and trade ties on the back of the smooth implementation of the bilateral FTA concluded in 2015 as well as with robust people-to-people exchanges facilitated by tourism and the working holiday program.

° Minister Kang stressed that New Zealand has been the ROK’s reliable partner that has steadily rendered support to the ROK on the international stage since its participation in the Korean War on the ROK side. Furthermore, she took note of the close cooperative relations their two countries have built across the board, including political affairs, economy and people-to-people exchanges.

3. Minister Kang brought attention to the ROK government’s plan to resume inter-Korean dialogue in an effort to implement President Moon Jae-in’s Berlin initiative and thereby establish peace on the Korean Peninsula, highlighting the high importance of this policy direction for stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the rest of the international community.

° The Minister stressed that in response to nuclear and missile tests and other military provocations by North Korea, the international community should enforce sanctions and put pressure on the North, but the ultimate purpose of the pressure should be to bring the North to the dialogue table.

4. In response, Minister Brownlee, relaying New Zealand’s strong support for the efforts of the ROK government to implement the Berlin initiative, affirmed New Zealand’s plan to coordinate closely with the ROK government to resolve nuclear and other issues of North Korea.

5. The two Ministers agreed to meet with each other on the sidelines of the foreign ministerial meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) set to take place in Manila, the Philippines, from August 6 till 8 for an in-depth discussion on major diplomatic issues in the Asia-Pacific region and other matters of mutual concern.


* unofficial translation