1. Korea and Iran had a video conference (Director-General level) on March 16 in the frame of Working Group for Expanding Humanitarian Trade.

2. Relevant ministries and organizations including a related private company took part in today’s session of the working group between the two countries. The two sides shared their evaluations on the current situation of the humanitarian trade between the two countries, including difficulties they’re facing. Furthermore, they discussed how to increase the trade volumes, how to expand the list of trade items including medical devices, medicines and ambulances, and how to reduce the hurdles to the humanitarian trade between the two countries.

3. The two sides had already had eight meetings since the Working Group was launched last year. In the last seven months, about 20 humanitarian items such as vaccine for influenza, medicine against cancers, blood glucose monitoring devices, and intravenous Immunoglobulins (IVIgs) were exported to Iran. Iran’s frozen assets in Korea have been used for these trades. The Korean government will continue its effort to expand and facilitate the bilateral humanitarian trade.