1. During his visit to New York to attend the 71st session of the UN General Assembly, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met bilaterally with his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Janelidze at the UN headquarters on September 19. In their meeting, the two top diplomats extensively discussed the Republic of Korea-Georgia relations, ways to step up bilateral substantive cooperation, the North Korean nuclear issue and ways to work together on the international stage.

2. Minister Yun mentioned that the opening of the Tbilisi office of the ROK Embassy in Georgia in December 2015, which came after the bilateral foreign ministerial meeting held on the sidelines of the Davos Forum in January 2015, served as an opportunity to take the bilateral relations a notch higher. He went on to propose that the two countries further intensify the momentum of the growing friendship and cooperation, as the two countries mark the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2017.

° Minister Yun, bringing attention to the potential of the ROK-Georgia trade to grow on the back of the Georgia-EU Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA), which had been brought into force on July 1, 2016, as well as the ROK-EU FTA, suggested that the two countries increase mutually beneficial cooperation through Korean companies’ participation in Georgian projects to modernize transportation and other forms of infrastructure.

° Minister Janelidze, voicing hope for more robust high-level exchanges and inter-governmental consultations between the two countries, expected that given Georgia’s geopolitical advantages as a bridge between Asia and Europe, Korean companies will increase their investment in such sectors as energy, roads and ports in Georgia.

3. With regard to the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Minister Yun extended appreciation to the Georgian government for issuing a statement of condemnation on the heels of North Korea’s fifth nuclear test, asking the Georgian government to join the international community in efforts to pressure North Korea, including through a strict and thorough implementation of Security Council sanctions resolutions.

° Minister Janelidze affirmed that the Georgian government will actively join international community in strongly condemning North Korea’s nuclear test and implementing sanctions resolutions on the North.

4. The two Ministers agreed to remain in close cooperation on the international stage.

5. The ROK-Georgia meeting, which came ahead of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2017, is seen to have served as an opportunity to promote the ROK’s friendly and cooperative ties with Georgia, a major Caucasian country and one of the ROK’s allies, and to consolidate their coordination on North Korea.


* unofficial translation