Cho Hyun holds separate talks with Rubio on G7 sidelines

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held a separate meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Paris, France, on Monday (local time), discussing the ROK-U.S. alliance and North Korea issues, among other topics. The two sides agreed to work closely together on developing bilateral relations, including progress on agreements reached between their leaders.

The talks marked the first face-to-face meeting between the two ministers since the U.S. midterm elections on the 3rd of this month. It was also their first contact since a brief exchange at the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta, U.S., on the 30th of last month.

The talks were expected to cover the progress of ROK-U.S. security consultations on nuclear fuel enrichment and reprocessing, as well as fuel supply for nuclear-powered submarines, and South Korea's contribution to freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. However, the readout released by the Foreign Ministry did not include details of discussions on these issues or schedules for follow-up consultations.

That same day, Minister Cho also met with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand. The two sides assessed progress in deepening energy cooperation centered on expanding imports of Canadian crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), and explored ways to cooperate in artificial intelligence and critical minerals. They also agreed to expand defense and defense industry cooperation based on the 'defense and security partnership' signed in October last year. In addition, they exchanged views on regional situations, including the Korean Peninsula, and agreed to continue coordination for international peace and stability.