1. On the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Foreign Ministers' Meeting (April 3-4, Brussels), Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul held his first bilateral meetings with Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani and Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, since taking office, and discussed bilateral relations, cooperation on the international stage, and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, among others.

2. During the meeting with Minister Tajani, Minister Cho appreciated the leadership of Italy as the chair of the G7 this year in addressing major international issues. He went on to propose that the two countries make joint efforts to ensure synergies on the key agenda items of this year's G7 Summit -- Africa, development and artificial intelligence -- from the results of the Korea-Africa Summit and the AI Seoul Summit both of which will be hosted by Korea. In response, Minister Tajani emphasized the importance of cooperation with Korea, Italy's friend in the Indo-Pacific region with shared values, and expressed his willingness to enhance cooperation not only on the international stage such as the G7 and the G20, but also in bilateral trade and investment.

3. During the meeting with Minister Fidan, Minister Cho hoped that building on the steadily increasing bilateral investment and trade cooperation, a successful model of cooperation would also be created in areas such as defense and nuclear energy. In response, Minister Fidan looked forward to further deepening bilateral relations in various fields, including high-level exchanges, education, defense, investment and trade, in line with the roadmap for a dynamic Korea-Türkiye partnership signed last year.

4. Meanwhile, Minister Cho informed Ministers Tajani and Fidan that North Korea's threatening rhetoric and provocations of late, coupled with its illegal military cooperation with Russia, pose a threat to peace and stability not only on the Korean peninsula but also in Europe and worldwide. He called for continued close coordination to send strong messages to North Korea, to put an end to military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, to counter the North's cyber threats and to block its illegal financial activities. Furthermore, he expressed his regret over Russia's recent veto of the UN resolution to extend the mandate of the UN Panel of Experts under the North Korea Sanctions Committee. He further emphasized the need for closer cooperation with the international community, including Italy and Türkiye, in implementing sanctions. Ministers Fidan and Tajani appreciated the Korean government's policy and efforts for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and affirmed their continued support for them.