South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian have consultations over the handling of Tehran's frozen funds in Seoul and the strengthening of bilateral ties, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday, according to Yonhap News Agency.
In the phone talks on Monday, Park said Seoul was making efforts for the transfer of frozen Tehran funds with a clear understanding that the assets in question belong to the people of Iran. Park added that South Korea was moving forward to resolve the pending issue through close communications with relevant nations, the ministry said.
His comments came after the US said last month that it was in negotiations with Tehran to transfer the frozen funds from South Korean banks to a special account in Qatar in exchange for the release of five US citizens currently detained in Iran.
Bilateral relations have remained frayed over the reportedly USD 6 billion in Iranian funds that had been frozen under US sanctions, which were re-imposed after former President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal in 2018. Park also said both countries should expand cooperation in various areas, including academia, science, sports and culture.
The Iranian minister emphasized Tehran's strong focus on relations with Asia and expressed his government's wish to enhance ties with South Korea, according to the ministry.
Source: Kuwait News Agency
