S. Korean, Canadian FMs agree on efforts to boost bilateral economic ties

 The foreign ministers of South Korea and Canada agreed Friday to make efforts to expand bilateral economic cooperation and bolster exchanges of high-level officials.

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Canadian counterpart Francois-Philippe Champagne held talks in Munich on the sidelines of a three-day security forum that opened Friday, according to the foreign ministry.

The top diplomats agreed to increase exchanges of high-level personnel and encourage the industrial sectors of both nations to promote cooperation in trade and investment.

The meeting was the first on the official schedule for Kang at the Munich Security Conference. She is expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings, including one with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Seoul’s top diplomat also requested Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s participation in the second P4G summit to be hosted by South Korea in June.

P4G stands for Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030, a public-private initiative to tackle climate change and other sustainable development challenges.

The foreign ministers also discussed the peace process on the Korean Peninsula and global responses to the spread of the new coronavirus, dubbed COVID-19, the government said.