1. The 11th ROK-EU Joint Committee meeting was held at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul on September 13, with Ahn Chong-ghee, Deputy Minister for Economic Diplomacy of the Foreign Ministry, and Viorel Isticioaia Budura, Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific of the European External Action Service (EEAS), as heads of their respective delegations.

o The ROK-EU Joint Committee meeting has been held at deputy minister level annually since 2001 in Seoul and Brussels alternately. The agenda for the meeting, which originally dealt with economic and trade cooperation, has been expanded to include a variety of areas, such as politics, economy, society and culture. (10th meeting: September 24, 2012 in Brussels)

2. The two sides noted that the Joint Committee has played a key role in enhancing the ROK-EU relations, which mark the 50th anniversary this year. They agreed to expand and develop the Committee into a consultative body to make more substantive progress in the “ROK-EU strategic partnership.”

3. The two sides stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between the ROK and the EU in government affairs, including increasing high-level exchanges, and reviewed the achievements under the ROK-EU FTA, which celebrates the second anniversary of its entry into force this year. They also discussed cooperation projects underway in science and technology, disaster response, climate change, education, culture and statistics.

4. Furthermore, the two sides decided to work to create the “Korea-EU Public Diplomacy Forum” and establish a consultative mechanism to support the ROK businesses, including those in maritime and fisheries and SMEs. They also agreed to hold the first meeting of the ROK-EU Committee on Cultural Cooperation this year.

5. The latest ROK-EU Joint Committee meeting is the first high-level regular meeting between the ROK and the EU since the inauguration of the Park Geun-hye government. The meeting, along with the 3rd ROK-EU High-level Political Dialogue held on July 26, helped further deepen and develop the “ROK-EU strategic partnership.”


                Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA 

*unofficial translation