1. The second Republic of Korea-El Salvador policy consultation will take place in San Salvador on October 29 with Director-General for Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Bahk Sahng-hoon of the ROK Foreign Ministry and Director-General for Foreign Policy Jorge Aranda of the Foreign Ministry of El Salvador leading their respective delegations.

2. In the forthcoming policy consultation, the two sides will engage in an extensive exchange of views on the full range of issues, including matters of mutual concern -- assessments of the advances in the friendly and cooperative ties between the two countries; ways to work together in economy, trade and development as well as cooperation on the international stage; and situations in diverse regions of the world.

3. El Salvador is emerging as an air service and transportation hub in Central America by utilizing its outstanding human resources and geographical advantages. The country, which is serving as the chair of the Central American Integration System (SICA) in the second half of 2015, is the Central American coordinator for the ROK-Central America FTA negotiations and the ROK’s important gateway to Central America. In the upcoming policy consultation, Director-General Bahk and his counterpart from El Salvador will review main bilateral issues and discuss ways to step up substantive cooperation in the future.

4. In particular, Director-General Bahk will ask the government of El Salvador to pay keen attention and render support with regard to Korean companies’ participation in a variety of infrastructure construction projects in El Salvador; the acceleration of the ROK-Central America FTA negotiations; and the protection of the ROK nationals and companies in El Salvador. He will also ask the government of El Salvador to continuously support the ROK government’s efforts to lay the groundwork for a peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula.

5. The second ROK-El Salvador policy consultation, which will come five years after the first of its kind in 2010, is expected to serve as a good opportunity to seek ways to boost exchanges between high-level officials of the two countries’ Foreign Ministries; further consolidate their long-standing friendship; and promote their substantive cooperation in various sectors.


* unofficial translation