Top diplomats of S. Korea, China meet in Laos

SEOUL, July 26 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, and discussed issues of mutual interest between the two countries, South Korea's foreign ministry said Friday.

The 40-minute talks took place on the sidelines of a series of multilateral gatherings involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), in Vientiane, Laos, the ministry said.

The two diplomats highly assessed the active high-level exchanges between their countries, with Wang noting that Cho's visit to China last year served as new momentum for bilateral relations.

They agreed to maintain close communication through various means, including phone calls, and to further foster mutual trust by maintaining the momentum of exchanges and cooperation at various levels.

Cho is set to attend a series of multilateral events, such as the South Korea-ASEAN and ASEAN Plus Three meetings, and the East Asia Summit ministerial gathering.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of South Korea's establishment of ties with ASEAN, which comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.

khj@yna.co.kr
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