State Secretary for Global Affairs Doru Costea yesterday, held talks with the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea, Lee Yong-joon, who is on an official visit to Romania.

Both sides expressed their satisfaction over the level and substance of the Romanian-South Korean dialog and the dynamism of the top-level political dialog between the two countries. The signing in September 2008 of The Joint Declaration on the establishment of a strategic partnership between Romania and Republic of Korea during the state visit to the Republic of Korea by Romanian President Traian Băsescu was a milestone in this process, all later actions being designed to implement this partnership.

The two delegations went over the bilateral agenda for this year and exchanged views on the prospects for expanding bilateral ties, in the context of the 20^thanniversary of diplomatic relations between Romania and Republic of Korea this year.

The Romanian side underlined its interest in the intensification and diversification of the fields of bilateral economic cooperation, for addressing the trade balance issue, and for stepping up the flows of Korean investment on the Romanian market.

Both sides reiterated their shared interest in the continued expansion of the ties between the two states at multiple levels, both bilaterally and in the frame of the relationship between the European Union and Republic of Korea.

The agenda of the talks also included an assessment of regional and international developments of interest for both sides.