The decision of President Moon to send a special envoy to the European Union is an indication of the strength of the Strategic Partnership between the European Union and the Republic of Korea. President Tusk had earlier today spoken with President Moon, with both sides agreeing to work together to consolidate the Strategic Partnership and to meet at the G20 Summit in Hamburg in July.

The exchanges with the Special Envoy focused on the Korean Peninsula and other regional and global matters of common interest. President Tusk and the High Representative/Vice-President conveyed that the EU will remain a strong partner in promoting peace, security and an open, rules-based trading system.

President Tusk and High Representative/Vice-President Mogherini stressed that the European Union is ready to increase its work, in full coordination with the Republic of Korea and the international community, to de-escalate tensions and peacefully denuclearise the Korean Peninsula. The EU will also continue its work to promote respect for human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and to ensure that the current sanctions regimes regarding North Korea are effectively implemented by the international community. The European Union is implementing all the restrictive measures imposed by the UN Security Council and its additional autonomous restrictive measures on the DPRK are the most stringent the European Union has on any third country. The European Union calls upon North Korea to engage in a credible and meaningful dialogue with the international community and is ready to support such dialogue. The High Representative/Vice-President Mogherini also discussed with Professor Yoon Je Cho the experience the EU has on the nuclear-non-proliferation agenda, that is at the full disposal of the international community.

President Tusk and the High Representative/Vice-President Mogherini both expressed their readiness to work closely with President Moon and the new Korean government.

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