1. The sixth Republic of Korea-International Atomic Energy Agency High-Level Policy Consultation will take place at the Foreign Ministry on March 21, co-chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs Oh Young-ju and Deputy Director-General and head of the Department of Safeguards Tero Varjoranta of the IAEA.

2. The forthcoming Consultation will extensively cover the North Korean nuclear issue and other main international non-proliferation challenges; and ways to optimize the IAEA safeguards system and to step up the ROK-IAEA cooperation on safeguards.

3. The ROK-IAEA High-Level Policy Consultation, first held in 2013, has since become a bilateral channel for strategic communication. The forthcoming round, in particular, is expected to serve as a useful opportunity to discuss the IAEA’s efforts to bolster its readiness to respond to the North Korean nuclear issue as well as ways that the ROK and the IAEA can work together toward a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue.

4. During his visit to the ROK, Deputy Director-General Varjoranta will also meet with Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lee Do-hoon for an extensive exchange of views on the curently progressing situation on the Korean Peninsula and the IAEA’s role toward a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue.

* unofficial translation