1. The first High-Level Policy Consultation between the Republic of Korea and Trinidad and Tobago took place in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on April 11, with Director-General for Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Jang Myung-soo and Permanent Secretary Margaret Parillon of the Foreign Ministries of the two countries leading their respective delegations.

* The ROK-Trinidad and Tobago High-Level Policy Consultation is the first official channel for bilateral dialogue. The two countries agreed to establish it during the visit of Trinidad Foreign Minister Winston Dookeran to the ROK in July 2013.

2. In the Policy Consultation, the two sides took note of the steady increase in bilateral cooperation in various sectors, including politics, economy, trade and culture, since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1985, and agreed to further expand and move their cooperative ties forward.

° The two sides noted that holding the inaugural High-Level Policy Consultation less than a year after the agreement was reached in July 2013 to establish the mechanism reflects the highly cooperative mood of late between the two countries. They agreed to actively use the mechanism as a platform for discussions on ways to advance their bilateral ties.

3. The ROK side, in particular, underscored that Trinidad, a country with abundant energy resources, and the ROK, whose energy and infrastructure construction sectors are globally competitive, have great potential for economic cooperation, to which the Trinidad side expressed consent. The two sides agreed to work together to expand economic cooperation in a mutually beneficial manner with a view to achieving shared prosperity.

° The ROK side, citing defense industry as a specific, promising sector for cooperation, asked the Trinidad government to consider expanding substantive cooperation in the sector.

4. The two sides shared the view that the two countries should work more closely together in education, tourism and culture. They also agreed to make joint efforts to promote cooperation between regions, including that between the ROK and the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM).

° The two sides agreed to promote cooperation between the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA) and a similar academy to be opened in Trinidad in May.

5. The ROK-Trinidad and Tobago High-Level Policy Consultation, as the first bilateral mechanism for high-level consultations since the establishment of diplomatic relations, is seen to have paved the way for expanding and advancing bilateral cooperative ties. It is also seen to have contributed to strengthening the base for the entry of ROK nationals and companies into the Caribbean region. 


                                Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation