Minister Kang Kyung-wha Holds Multilateral Consultations on COVID-19 Response with Foreign Ministers from Canada, Germany, Australia, and Four Other Countries

Discussion on each country's quarantine measures, entry and exit controls, financial, industrial, and employment support policies, and social measures
President Moon Jae-in requests cooperation for the proposed 'G20 Special Video Summit'

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is speaking at a briefing for the diplomatic corps in Korea on COVID-19 held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 6th. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 15th (Korean time) from 11:10 PM for 70 minutes, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha held a multilateral telephone consultation with foreign ministers of major countries to discuss international cooperation measures related to the response to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 16th.

The telephone consultation included foreign ministers from six countries including Korea and the proposing country Canada, Germany, Brazil, Italy, and Australia. Participants included Fran?ois-Philippe Champagne, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs; Heiko Maas, German Minister of Foreign Affairs; Ernesto Ara?jo, Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs; Luigi Di Maio, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Marise Payne, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Women.

The foreign ministers shared their recognition of the seriousness of the COVID-19 situation spreading worldwide recently, exchanging experiences and future response plans regarding each country's quarantine measures, entry and exit controls, financial, industrial, and employment-related support measures, and social policies.

Minister Kang stated, "The number of new COVID-19 cases in our country is showing a downward trend and overall the situation is controllable, but we are continuing to respond actively without complacency, and are also actively preparing for risk factors such as community infections and overseas inflows due to the global spread of COVID-19." She introduced the Korean government's measures including ?proactive epidemiological investigations targeting high-risk groups based on excellent diagnostic testing capabilities ?innovative quarantine measures such as mobile screening clinics ?transparent information disclosure ?and quarantine measures based on voluntary participation.

Minister Kang also emphasized Korea's commitment to contributing to the global overcoming of COVID-19 by stating, "Let us strive to maintain an open society and international order while refraining from excessive entry restrictions so that the spread of infectious diseases does not lead to the spread of national barriers, fear, and hatred."

The foreign ministers of major countries participating in this telephone consultation agreed on the importance of close communication and cooperation amid the global spread of COVID-19, and shared the intention to lead efforts at multilateral, regional, and bilateral levels.

Meanwhile, Minister Kang mentioned that President Moon Jae-in proposed holding a G20 special video summit to establish a close international cooperation system for responding to COVID-19, and requested active cooperation from foreign ministers of major countries for the meeting's organization.

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