1. Foreign Minister Kim Sung-Hwan, during his visit to the Australia on August 15-16, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Julia Gillard on August 16, followed by bilateral meetings with Foreign Minister Bob Carr and Trade Minister Craig Emerson later in the day.

2. In their meeting, the Foreign Ministers of the two countries discussed the current situation on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia, high-level exchanges aimed to promote bilateral relations, bilateral FTA, and ways to work more closely together in defense and security as well on regional and global stages.

° Minister Carr reaffirmed the willingness of the Australian government to cooperate actively on the issues concerning the Korean Peninsula. The two sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation in politics and security by holding a Foreign and Defense Ministers’ (2+2) meeting at the earliest possible date. They also agreed to maintain close cooperation on regional and global stages -- including the G-20 and the EAS --and on issues such as climate change.

° The two Ministers affirmed the importance of concluding a bilateral FTA and agreed to work to produce a mutually-beneficial outcome.

3. During Minister Kim’s courtesy call on Prime Minister Gillard, the two sides agreed to make joint efforts toward an early conclusion of a bilateral FTA and an early holding of a Foreign and Defense Ministers’ (2+2) meeting.

4. In the meeting between Foreign Minister Kim and Trade Minister Emerson, the two sides agreed to exert their best efforts to seek mutually acceptable resolutions to the remaining issues concerning the negotiations on a bilateral FTA.

5. The ROK and Australia share fundamental values, such as democracy and market economy, and have been working closely together in a wide range of sectors based on their mutually-complementary economic structures. The latest visit to Australia by Foreign Minister Kim is seen to have contributed greatly to promoting the friendly and cooperative ties between the two countries. 


                            Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFAT

* unofficial translation