Korea and Madagascar have agreed to strengthen their partnership on infrastructure, construction and natural resources.

The Korean and Malagasy ministers of foreign affairs Yun Byung-se and Beatrice Atallah met in Seoul on July 22 to discuss measures aimed at expanding bilateral economic partnerships. They also covered nuclear weapons issues triggered by North Korea, and other forms of international partnership.

The two foreign ministers agreed on a continuous, deeper level of partnership. While agreeing upon further efforts to pass a double tax avoidance agreement and an investment promotion and protection agreement between the two governments, they also confirmed their cooperation on a nickel mine in Ambatovy, Madagascar.

Condemning the North's nuclear weapons tests and the fact that the North's nuclear provocations threaten peace on the Korean Peninsula and across the entire global community, the two parties agreed to fulfill the implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution No. 2270.

Alongside North Korean issues, they also talked about Korea's participation as an observer at the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie summit that is scheduled to be held in November in Madagascar.

Mentioning her positive impression of Seoul's high level of development and urbanization, Minister Atallah hoped to expand her nation's economic and development partnership with Seoul, and to bring more investment into Madagascar from Korean companies, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

By Chang Iou-chung
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
icchang@korea.kr