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 met with President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Peter Maurer and President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa before the opening of the Manama Dialogue.

2. (ICRC President) Foreign Minister Kang and ICRC President Maurer discussed cooperation in COVID-19 response, the 2021 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial, and the current status of humanitarian assistance to North Korea.

o Foreign Minister Kang commended the dedication of ICRC staff and volunteers who are continuing to work at the forefront of humanitarian crises amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and suggested that the two sides continue to closely work together in responding to COVID-19.

o ICRC President Maurer expressed his will to participate in the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial to be hosted by Korea in 2021. Foreign Minister Kang welcomed the ICRC’s participation and proposed that the two sides continue to closely cooperate to ensure the success of the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial.

o In addition, Foreign Minister Kang was briefed by ICRC President Maurer on the recent withdrawal of the ICRC’s staff from its office in Pyongyang, and the two sides exchanged views on the current status of humanitarian assistance to North Korea amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

3. (President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities) Foreign Minister Kang visited the Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Center for Culture and Research at the invitation of President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities Mai, and the two sides discussed issues regarding UNESCO World Heritage.

o Foreign Minister Kang stressed the need for Japan to implement follow-up measures regarding the inscription of the Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution on the World Heritage List, as discussed at the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. President Mai mentioned the implications and importance of world heritage in terms of historical identity and the preservation of memory.

o In addition, Foreign Minister Kang asked for Bahrain’s support and cooperation regarding Korea’s bid to have its Tidal Flat inscribed on the World Heritage List.