Bilateral Meeting on the Occasion of the Munich Security Conference
First Meeting with French Minister Philippe Champagne and Canadian Foreign Minister Since Taking Office
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 14th, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha held a bilateral meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Canadian Foreign Minister Fran?ois-Philippe Champagne on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) held in Munich, Germany, exchanging views on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of lasting peace.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two ministers held a bilateral meeting that day and exchanged opinions on close cooperation between South Korea and Canada in various fields, as well as expanding high-level exchanges and practical cooperation between the two countries in the future. This bilateral foreign ministers' meeting was the first since Champagne took office in November last year.
The two ministers especially shared assessments of the recent situation on the Korean Peninsula, reaffirmed their commitment to denuclearization and the establishment of lasting peace on the Peninsula, and exchanged views on cooperation regarding regional and global issues, including responses to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Furthermore, as like-minded countries sharing values such as free trade and democracy, they agreed to further expand cooperation on the international stage.
They also evaluated that this year marks the 5th anniversary of the Korea-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) coming into effect, recognizing the great potential for cooperation between the two countries in the economic sector, and agreed to further encourage cooperation between the industries of both countries to expand trade and investment.
Meanwhile, Minister Kang introduced the upcoming 2nd P4G Summit to be held in Korea in June and requested Canada to share its experiences so far. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official explained, "Minister Kang introduced that Korea plans to hold the 2nd P4G Summit in Seoul this June to achieve concrete results ahead of 2030, the target year for implementing the Paris Agreement and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She requested that Canadian Prime Minister Champagne attend the summit and share Canada’s experience in leading roles in climate change response and green growth."
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