1. Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan will visit Belgium on May 10-12. During the visit, he is scheduled to 
sign the Korea-EU Framework Agreement for Trade and Cooperation; pay a courtesy call on Jose Manuel 
Barroso, President of the European Commission; meet bilaterally with his EU and Belgian counterparts, 
and NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen; and deliver a speech at a meeting of NATO North 
Atlantic Council.

2. Minister Yu, Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, 
and the foreign ministers of the 27 EU member states will formally sign the Korea-EU Framework 
Agreement for Trade and Cooperation on May 10, which was initialed in October of last year. The 
signing of the Agreement is expected to establish a legal and institutional foundation for strengthened 
cooperation with the EU, which has seen its stature further bolstered since the effectuation of the Lisbon 
Treaty in December 2009. 

3. On May 11, Minister Yu will deliver an address on Korea-NATO relations; and the current situation of 
East Asia and that of the Korean peninsula, including the North Korean nuclear issue and the Cheonan 
incident, to the ambassadors of the 28 NATO members at a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s 
highest decision-making organ.

4. During the visit to Belgium, Minister Yu will meet with high-level officials, including President of the 
European Commission Barroso, High Representative Ashton, NATO Secretary-General Rasmussen, 
and Belgian Foreign Minister Banackere, to exchange views on the Cheonan incident and the current 
situation of the Korean peninsula in general as well as that of Northeast Asia; the North Korean nuclear 
issue; promoting substantive cooperation in economy and trade; major international issues; and other 
matters of mutual interest.

5. Minister Yu’s upcoming Belgian trip is expected to serve as a good opportunity to boost cooperation 
with the EU and NATO, a strong regional security organization, thereby solidifying support on Korea’s 
foreign and security policies.

                            Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFAT

* unofficial translation