1. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se had a telephone conversation with Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota on the evening of April 18 and exchanged views on ways to deepen the relations between the Republic of Korea and Brazil as well as the current situation on the Korean Peninsula.

2. Minister Yun started out by relaying the willingness of the new ROK government to expand strategic cooperation with Brazil, a leading Latin American country. He then proposed that he and his Brazilian counterpart hold meetings on the sidelines of various multilateral meetings this year. In view of the long absence of visit to the ROK by a Brazilian Foreign Minister, he invited Minister Patriota to make one this year. Minister Patriota extended appreciation to Minister Yun for the invitation. He also expressed hope to meet bilaterally with Minister Yun on the sidelines of multilateral meetings this year to discuss ways to strengthen political and economic cooperation between the two countries.

° The two Ministers discussed a possible exchange of visits between their Presidents in the near future, as well as a possible meeting between them on the sidelines of a G-20 Summit and other occasions

3. Minister Patriota conveyed a strong hope to work together with the ROK in the country’s competitive fields, including science, technology, innovation, and the construction of such infrastructure as roads, ports, and airports. Minister Yun brought renewed attention to the active participation of the ROK government and companies in the “Science without Borders” program pursued by the Brazilian government, and proposed that the two countries work together more closely and in a mutually beneficial manner.

4. With regard to the current situation on the Korean Peninsula, Minister Patriota mentioned that Brazil, the only Latin American country with resident diplomatic missions in both the Republic of Korea and North Korea, is well aware of the situation. He also voiced concern over the recent series of threats from North Korea. Minister Yun mentioned that despite North Korea’s provocation threats designed to raise tensions, the ROK government is managing the situation in a stable manner. He noted with appreciation that the Brazilian government had decided to maintain its mission in Pyongyang despite North Korea’s recent recommendation to withdraw diplomatic missions. He expressed his hope to consult closely with the Brazilian government on North Korea issues.

5. Minister Yun requested that with this year marking the 50th anniversary of the start of Korean immigration to Brazil, the Brazilian government render more attention and support to the Korean community in the country. Meanwhile, Minister Patriot noted with appreciation contributions of Korean-Brazilians to the country.

6. With respect to the upcoming election of the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the two Ministers exchanged congratulations on the advance of the candidates from each other’s countries to the second-round competition, and agreed that the two countries will compete in a fair manner.

7. Recalling their close cooperation during their service at the Permanent Missions of the two countries in Geneva, the two Ministers agreed to work closely with a view to further upgrading the relations between their two countries. They also agreed to hold bilateral meetings and telephone conversations as necessary to discuss matters of mutual concern, including bilateral, global and North Korea issues.

                              Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation