The United States and South Korea will have their first
ministerial strategic dialogue next week on a wide range of issues,
the State Department announced Tuesday.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will host her South
Korean counterpart Ban Ki-Moon for the inaugural session of the
so-called Strategic Consultations for Allied Partnership on Jan.
19, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.
The talks, agreed last November at the summit between US
President George W. Bush and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun,
will focus on global, regional and bilateral issues of mutual
concern," McCormack said.
"The strategic consultations reflect the dynamic global
partnership we have developed with the Republic of Korea and
consolidate the strong bilateral cooperation that we have long
shared," McCormack said.
It was expected that the scheduled talks will also cover efforts
to break the stalemate of the six-party talks on nuclear issues on
the Korean peninsula that involves the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea, the United States, the Republic of Korea, China, Japan
and Russia.
South Korea is a key Asian ally of the United States, which so
far is engaged in ministerial strategic talks with Japan,
Australia, and Saudi Arabia.
(Xinhua News Agency January 11, 2006)
