Minister of Foreign Affairs Song Min-soon had bilateral talks with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Sydney Australia on Thursday, September 6 from 14:00 to 14:45 during the APEC Ministerial Meeting to have in-depth discussions on issues of mutual concerns including the North Korean nuclear issue and the Middle East situation and to prepare for the ROK-US Summit Meeting.
The two Ministers recognized the progress in implementing the initial steps of the February 13 Agreement such as the shut-down of the nuclear facilities in North Korea and the Working Group meeting on normalization of relations between US and North Korea held in Geneva on September 1-2. They also discussed measures for substantial progress of the Six-party process, successful inter-Korean Summit, and peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.
Furthermore, the two ministers discussed the status of the bilateral partnership including the readjustment of the ROK-US Alliance during President Roh's Administration and agreed to further strengthen cooperation for the ratification of the ROK-US Free Trade Agreement and early entry into the VISA Waiver Program for Korea.
The two foreign ministers also exchanged views on matters of mutual interest such as enhancing bilateral cooperation within the APEC framework.
국제부 이명근 기자
