1. Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang, Kyung-wha visited Bahrain on December 4 to attend the 16th Manama Dialogue (Dec. 4-6, Manama, Bahrain) and had bilateral meetings with her counterparts from Iraq and Bahrain before the opening of the Manama Dialogue.

2. (Iraq) Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang, Kyung-wha and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq Fouad Hussain discussed bilateral cooperation amid COVID-19, economic cooperation between the two countries including Korean companies’ entry into Iraq, and the situation in the Middle East.

o Foreign Minister Kang expressed appreciation to the Iraqi government for supporting the repatriation of Korean construction workers in Iraq amid the COVID-19 pandemic and noted that bilateral cooperation has expanded in various sectors including infrastructure, construction, defense industry, and e-government. She also asked Iraq to pay particular attention to Korean companies’ participation in the energy, infrastructure and construction markets in Iraq, and requested the Iraqi government’s cooperation in ensuring that Korean companies’ projects in Iraq that are underway despite COVID-19 are carried out safely without problems.

o Foreign Minister Hussain said that he is aware that Korea had given a big help to the Iraqi people when it sent its troops to Iraq, including the construction of hospitals and schools, and added that Iraq will cooperate with Korea so that Korean companies’ projects in the country can be carried out as planned.

o Foreign Minister Kang stressed the need to conclude the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement and the Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation as early as possible in order to establish legal and institutional foundations for expanding bilateral relations. Foreign Minister Hussain said that Iraq is currently going through domestic procedures required for the conclusion of the Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and suggested that the two sides continue to work together to sign it as soon as possible.

o In addition, the two sides exchanged views on the rapidly changing situation in the Middle East.

3. (Bahrain) Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang, Kyung-wha and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani discussed bilateral cooperation, the situation in the Middle East, and cooperation on the international stage.

o Foreign Minister Kang highly recognized that the Manama Dialogue was held successfully in a face-to-face format amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and noted that bilateral relations have been expanding to various areas including energy, construction, and infrastructure. Foreign Minister Abdullatif agreed that Foreign Minister Kang’s visit to Bahrain should become an opportunity to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, and the two Foreign Ministers proposed continuing bilateral and multilateral cooperation in responding to COVID-19.

o In addition, on the occasion of Foreign Minister Kang’s visit to Bahrain, the first visit by a Korean Foreign Minister in 35 years, the two sides agreed to hold a Korea-Bahrain joint cooperation committee meeting at a mutually convenient time in order to continue regular communication between the two countries.

o Foreign Minister Kang also noted with appreciation that the normalization of diplomatic relations between Bahrain and Israel was a decision that contributes to regional stability and peace. The two Foreign Ministers exchanged in-depth views on the rapidly changing situation in the Middle East including the Abraham Accords.

o Furthermore, Foreign Minister Kang asked Bahrain to positively consider supporting the Korean candidate for the International Law Commission (ILC) as well as joining the International Vaccine Institute (IVI).