1. Director-General for International Organizations Lee Jang-keun will hold the first ROK-UK Multilateral Policy Dialogue with Multilateral Policy Director Paul Williams of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Seoul on March 2.

o The upcoming director-general-level policy dialogue is held as a follow-up measure to the third ROK-UK Foreign Ministers’ strategic dialogue, held in London, the UK, on February 22. The policy dialogue takes place for the first time in order to expand the strategic partnership between the two countries, which share such values as democracy and market economy, to promote substantive collaboration and cooperation in various international organizations.

2. Director-General Lee and his UK counterpart will exchange in-depth views on ways for the two countries to collaborate and cooperate in the new environment for multilateral diplomacy; ways to respond to various challenges, including global terrorism and violent extremism; and ways to strengthen the multilateral system, with the UN at its core, in the areas of peace-building operations and conflict prevention.

o In particular, in the forthcoming policy dialogue, Director-General Lee will discuss ways to enhance cooperation on the global stage with the UK, which is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a key member state of major international organizations, regarding North Korea’s continued nuclear and missile threats and the recent terrorist incident where a chemical weapon was used.

3. Amid ongoing global challenges and threats, including unending disputes, climate change, refugees, terrorism and violent extremism, the ROK government will hold more policy consultations with the ROK’s major allies such as the UK in order to expand its influence on the global stage.


* unofficial translation