By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul met with Dr. Thomas Bagger, State Secretary of Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, on March 11. They exchanged views on matters of mutual interests, such as bilateral relations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Foreign Minister Cho and State Secretary Bagger agreed to work towards rearranging President Yoon Suk-yeol's state visit to Germany, which was inevitably postponed last month due to various domestic affairs, at an appropriate time. They also agreed to further bolster the ties between the two countries through continued high-level exchanges.

The two sides shared the view that North Korea's continued provocations and its illegal military cooperation with Russia are threatening peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Europe. 

They agreed to continue to closely work together to stop Russia-North Korea military cooperation, foster adherence to UN Security Council resolutions, and encourage North Korea to return to dialogue.

Minister Cho and State Secretary Bagger also had in-depth discussions on regional and global affairs, such as the situation in Northeast Asia, the Indo-Pacific strategy, the war in Ukraine, and cooperation between Korea and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).