The Secretary-General met today with H.E. Mr. Ri Su-yong, Foreign Minister of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation for the DPRK’s support for the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He stressed the importance of early planning for the implementation of the SDGs, and of strong engagement on climate change.

The Secretary-General welcomed the “August Agreement” between the DPRK and the Republic of Korea (RoK), as well as their follow-up agreement to resume family reunions on 20 October. He hoped that these milestones would pave the way for greater inter-Korean dialogue, reconciliation and cooperation. The Secretary-General further hoped that more dialogue and exchanges would contribute to promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. In this regard, the Secretary-General reiterated his readiness to spare no efforts to support inter-Korean cooperation.

The Secretary-General reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need in the DPRK.