Joint Statement on Strengthening the Strategic Partnership between 

the Republic of Korea and Romania

On the occasion of the official visit by H.E. President Klaus Werner Iohannis of Romania to the Republic of Korea from 22 to 25 April 2024, a meeting was held between H.E. President Klaus Werner Iohannis and H.E. President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as the “ROK”).

During the meeting, the ROK and Romania reaffirmed the solid foundation of the bilateral relations, based on common interests and shared values of democracy, human rights, the rule of law, effective multilateralism, open, free and fair trade, and the rules-based international order.

Both sides emphasized the tremendous potential of their bilateral cooperation and committed to take full advantage of all opportunities to the benefit of their citizens, in such extensive areas as politics, security, economy, environment, culture and education.

Recalling the Joint Declaration on the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership, signed during the visit of the President of Romania to the ROK in September 2008, both sides agreed on the need to strengthen the Strategic Partnership, in order to better respond to the new geopolitical and geoeconomic context.

Both sides underscored the need for closer cooperation to address the challenges and threats to the rules-based international order, notably Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and the growing instability of the security environment, marked by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) illegal nuclear and missile programs, its military cooperation with Russia, as well as the evolving international threats posed by terrorism, violent extremism and radicalization.

Both sides also recognized the need to work closely together in order to address a wide range of common challenges, such as disruptions in the global supply chains affecting economic security, uneven post-pandemic economic recovery, energy, food and water insecurity, the effects of climate change, the misuse of emerging and disruptive technologies, cyber threats and others.

Sharing a vision for the next decades of consolidated, fruitful and pragmatic bilateral cooperation, both sides agreed to strengthen the bilateral Strategic Partnership as follows:

Pillar I: Political and security dialogue

Bilateral dialogue

1. Both sides reiterated their determination to enhance regular high-level bilateral exchanges and political dialogue at various levels, including a dedicated regular meeting to review, inter alia, the implementation of the Strategic Partnership and the current Joint Statement to ensure efficient coordination on regional and global issues.

2. Both sides decided to encourage parliamentary exchanges by consolidating the bilateral friendship groups and enhancing the dialogue between the standing committees of their respective Parliaments, based on shared priorities.

3. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continue their bilateral dialogue and consultations on defense-related issues, including through the Joint Defense Industry and Logistics Committee, to exchange information and to increase their cooperation in the defense industry field, through joint production of military equipment and defense technology cooperation. Both sides also agreed to cooperate in the fields of military education and training, military medicine, sports and cultural exchanges, exchange of information and experience. Both sides expressed their interest in advancing the negotiations of the ROK-EU security partnership.

4. Both sides agreed to cooperate on cyber security, in light of the increasing hybrid and asymmetrical threats at global level. Romania highly appreciates the ROK’s openness to reflect on the possibility to be involved in the Euro-Atlantic Resilience Centre’s activities.

5. Both sides agreed to promote consultations on countering organized crime, counterfeiting, money laundering, drug trafficking, illegal migration, trafficking of human beings, terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

6. Both sides agreed to enhance their bilateral collaboration in the area of emergency situations and disaster and safety management. This includes exchanging policies and technical expertise in disaster and safety management, promoting people-to-people exchanges in education and training, cooperating in disaster relief efforts, and preparing for climate-related crises, as well as large-scale and complex disasters.

Global and regional aspects

7. Based on their shared values, both sides reaffirmed their strong support for the rules-based international order and effective multilateralism, with the United Nations at its core. Both sides decided to further support the reform of the United Nations Security Council in order to make this main United Nations body more democratic, representative, transparent, efficient and accountable.

8. Both sides shared their resolve to continue and expand cooperation in the international fora on global and regional issues, in particular with regard to international peace and security, economic development, free trade, law of the sea, including freedom of navigation, the rule of law and human rights, in the spirit of multilateralism and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

9. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to promoting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, implementing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and supporting international efforts toward achieving the Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

10. Both sides condemned Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, which represents a brutal violation of the international law, including the United Nations Charter, and a serious challenge to the rules-based international order. Both sides reaffirmed their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, within its internationally recognized borders. Both sides emphasized the importance of a united response of the international community to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and agreed to maintain and increase collective pressure on Russia through restrictive measures. Both sides underlined their determination to support Ukraine and committed to cooperate in order to support Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction, by making use of Romania’s strategic position and the ROK’s expertise.

11. Both sides agreed that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine especially affects the rights of vulnerable persons, such as women, children, the elderly and persons with disabilities and expressed their readiness to contribute towards countering the negative impacts of the war on these persons and those most affected, including countries from the immediate neighborhood.

12. Both sides recognized the importance of peace, stability, territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova. Furthermore, the ROK recognized Romania’s strong support for the Republic of Moldova’s European integration.

13. Both sides agreed to work together to foster prosperity, economic development, regional security and stability, as well as freedom and democracy in the Black Sea region. Both sides agreed to explore opportunities to invest in the development of connectivity, tourism, trade and energy projects in the region.

14. Both sides condemned the arms transfers between the DPRK and Russia, which is in clear violation of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and Russia's use of these weapons against Ukraine. Both sides expressed concern on what Russia provides to the DPRK in return for such weapons exports. Both sides also expressed serious concern on recent Russian remarks that condoned the DPRK’s unlawful nuclear programs and justified its destabilizing actions including provocations.

15. Both sides condemned the DPRK’s ongoing development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, which constitutes a direct violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, as well as its recent escalatory rhetoric and provocations.

16. Both sides urged the DPRK to immediately comply with its obligations under relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions by abandoning all its nuclear weapons, any other weapons of mass destruction, existing ballistic missile and nuclear programs, in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, and cease all related activities. Romania expressed the support for the objectives of the ROK's Audacious Initiative for a denuclearized, peaceful and prosperous Korean Peninsula, as well as a unified Korean Peninsula that is free and at peace.

17. Both sides confirmed their commitment to achieve a world without nuclear weapons in line with the objectives of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and reaffirmed the importance of enhancing bilateral and multilateral cooperation for strengthening arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation including the denuclearization of the DPRK in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.

18. Both sides deplored the DPRK regime's insistence on aggravating the suffering and human rights situation of the people in the DPRK by using its limited resources to fund its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Both sides reaffirmed that human rights are an essential element in building sustainable peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. Both sides committed to continuing strengthening cooperation to promote human rights in the DPRK and called for the immediate resolution of the issues of abductions, detainees and unrepatriated prisoners of war.

19. Both sides agreed to build on the commonalities between their respective approaches to the Indo-Pacific region and resolved to work together in order to identify and implement joint projects dealing with global and regional issues in such areas as digitalization, cyber security, space, connectivity, law of the sea, green transition, blue economy, health, and disaster management. Both sides agreed to support the ROK-EU cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

20. Both sides recognized the importance of strengthening political dialogue and practical cooperation between NATO and its close Indo-Pacific partners (IP4), and agreed to work together, including in the context of the Individually Tailored Partnership Programme between the ROK and NATO. Both sides agreed to increase dialogue to tackle shared security challenges, including by contributing to the implementation of enhanced NATO-IP4 cooperation on assisting Ukraine, responding to cyber and hybrid threats, and harnessing new technologies. Both sides decided to continue to identify and explore opportunities for technological, scientific and research exchanges.

Pillar II: Economic cooperation and investment

21. Both sides reiterated their determination to expand and diversify the scope of bilateral economic and commercial relations by taking full advantage of and working closely on all strands related to the ROK-EU cooperation framework, in particular the ROK-EU Framework Agreement, the ROK-EU Free Trade Agreement, the dialogue on economic security, the ROK-EU Green Partnership, and the ROK-EU Digital Partnership. Both sides welcomed the conclusion of negotiations on the ROK’s association to the Horizon Europe program and look forward to the signing of this agreement.

22. Both sides shared their determination to intensify bilateral cooperation, including in the area of supply chain resilience, by diversifying commercial ties, increasing mutual investments, particularly in strategic areas such as infrastructure, energy and defence, facilitating the expansion of small and medium enterprises in each other’s markets and of joint ventures in various fields, including digital.

23. Both sides shared their commitment to promote the dialogue between their relevant authorities on trade and investment, business associations and interested stakeholders, and bilateral business clubs. Both sides encouraged the exchange of best practices leading to the growth of global value chains and smart investments as important pillars of economic cooperation.

24. Both sides agreed to further work together to expand and diversify bilateral economic and commercial relations, while aiming to increase trade and investment in a sustainable manner.

25. Both sides highlighted their commitment to transitioning away from fossil fuels in their energy systems and replacing them with low-carbon and carbon free energy sources. In order to combat the effects of climate change and with the aim to increase energy security in their respective regions, both sides will increase cooperation through bilateral consultations, participation in joint energy projects with a focus on technologies for nuclear energy, both for large scale, and small modular reactors, hydrogen, renewable energy and increased investments. Moreover, both sides agreed to further cooperate to achieve decarbonization and to strengthen collaborative efforts in the realm of the responsible use of civil nuclear energy in accordance with the highest standards of nuclear non-proliferation including the IAEA Additional Protocol. In this regard, Romania welcomed the "Carbon Free Energy Initiative” proposed by the ROK.

26. Both sides shared a common understanding on the importance of nuclear energy in combating climate change. In this respect, both sides, recalling the ‘Net Zero Nuclear Initiative’ signed in December 2023, agreed to collaborate on tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050, with a view to meeting the Net Zero target. In particular, both sides committed to engaging in wide-ranging cooperation including on nuclear facility enhancement, nuclear fuel, nuclear waste management, human resources development and information on supply chains, on the basis of the MOU concerning nuclear energy cooperation, signed between the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Energy of the Republic of Korea and the Ministry of Energy of Romania on the sidelines of the ROK-Romania Summit.

27. Both sides decided to actively engage in establishing relevant international rules and best practices on new technologies such as aerospace, advanced nuclear technologies and related fuels.

28. Both sides will endeavor to enhance food and water security through increased trade, investment and joint projects in the fields of agriculture and fisheries.

29. Both sides agreed to encourage and facilitate investments in the area of port infrastructure with the aim to modernize and develop regional transport hubs, such as the ports of Busan and Constanța.

30. Both sides committed to cooperate in supporting Romania’s efforts to accede to the OECD. Both sides looked forward to deeper cooperation within the OECD after Romania becomes a new member.

31. Both sides resolved to support an ambitious World Trade Organization reform, to improve its function and to strengthen and uphold the rules-based multilateral trading system, by cooperating closely in the international fora.

Pillar III: Cultural, educational and people-to-people cooperation

32. Both sides decided to further upgrade the bilateral framework on education, science and technology and committed to expanding academic and research partnerships, as well as scientific exchanges between universities and research institutes.

33. Both sides committed to promoting better understanding and closer communication between their peoples through people-to-people exchanges in the fields of culture and sports, especially between youths and journalists of both countries.

34. Both sides agreed to explore partnerships between their entertainment industries, to develop growth opportunities for content creators and strengthen the competitiveness of creative communities, especially in the field of filmmaking.

35. Both sides reaffirmed the importance of increasing people-to-people exchanges, by pursuing new ways of promoting tourism, including by making use of new technologies and jointly developing tourist facilities.