Minister of Foreign Affairs Yun Byung-se (left) and Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs Alfonso Dastis hold talks in Madrid on March 1 to discuss ways to further enhance bilateral cooperation.
Korea and Spain have vowed to solidify bilateral cooperation across a range of areas, such as North Korea’s nuclear weapons, information technology (IT), science, and joint projects aimed at boosting cooperation across Latin America.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Yun Byung-se and his Spanish counterpart, Minister Alfonso Dastis, held talks in Madrid on March 1. At the talks, the Korean minister said, “As a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2015-2016 session, and, also, as chair of the DPRK Sanctions Committee, Spain has played a pivotal role in helping the international community deal with the North’s nuclear weapons issues, for example, by engaging in the adoption of resolutions against the North.”
The minister called for the Spanish government to continue to pursue efforts to promote human rights in Pyongyang and to put pressure on the regime.
In response, the Spanish minister showed deep worries over the regime’s unstoppable desire to develop nuclear weapons and over its human rights violations against its own people, as he stressed, “We will join forces with the international community in fulfilling the U.N. Security Council Resolutions against the North and in adopting its own sanctions that are as strong as the European Union ones.”
On top of North Korean issues, both sides agreed to increase mutual cooperation on IT and science by holding such annual conferences as the Korea-Spain Joint Committee of Economy, Science and Technology and the Korea-Spain Forum. The two countries will also work closely to jointly tap into new markets using their own construction and infrastructure technologies.
The two sides will work to revitalize interaction between the two countries by revising the current Korea-Spain aviation agreement and by signing an agreement on working holiday visas as soon as possible.
Finally, Seoul and Madrid will continue to work jointly on the development of ties across Latin America, and, also, on other global efforts, such as world peace through U.N. peacekeeping activities and responses to violent extremism.
By Kim Young-ah, Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writers
Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Kimya124@korea.kr
