Minister Kang Kyung-hwa Talks with UK Foreign Secretary... Requests "Prior Consultation" on COVID-19 Matters

UK Foreign Secretary Cancels Foreign Ministers' Meeting on 26th Due to Personal Reasons... Repeatedly Expresses Apology

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 29th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha discussed bilateral issues such as cooperation in response to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), collaboration in the climate and environmental sectors, and post-Brexit cooperation between the two countries during a phone call from Dominic Raab, the UK Foreign Secretary, on the afternoon of the previous day.

Foreign Secretary Raab once again expressed his deep apologies for being unable to hold the Korea-UK Foreign Ministers' meeting scheduled for the 26th due to sudden personal circumstances.

During this call, both sides agreed to closely cooperate in responding to COVID-19 amid global concerns over the spread of the infection.

Minister Kang explained, "Our government is taking strong COVID-19 response measures based on a high level of testing capacity and a proactive will to prevent further spread," and requested, "Please consult with us in advance regarding measures related to our citizens in response to COVID-19."

In response, Secretary Raab said, "We highly appreciate South Korea's efficient and transparent response and will continue close communication and cooperation for effective COVID-19 response."

Furthermore, both sides agreed that 2020 is a critical year for addressing climate change and decided to cooperate closely on various bilateral and multilateral occasions. Foreign Secretary Raab, recognizing South Korea's efforts in tackling climate change, requested South Korea's active participation and cooperation at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) to be held in the UK this November.

Minister Kang also asked for the active participation and cooperation of the UK, a leading country in climate change, in the P4G to ensure that the outcomes of the 2nd P4G Summit to be held in Seoul in June can lead to fruitful results at COP26 hosted by the UK.

Meanwhile, Minister Kang expressed hope for special cooperation to maintain continuity in economic and trade cooperation between the two countries even after Brexit. In response, Secretary Raab mentioned that cooperation with South Korea has become even more important after the UK's withdrawal from the European Union (EU) and stated that he would pay closer attention to prevent any gaps in trade cooperation between the two countries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.