Seoul, Aug 11 (IANS) South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun spoke with his British counterpart, David Lammy, by phone Monday to discuss ways to advance their strategic partnership and other security issues, his office said.
Cho noted that the two countries have actively engaged in high-level exchanges since the launch of the Lee Jae Myung government in June and urged Britain’s active support for the new administration’s foreign policy, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing the ministry.
Additionally, Cho expressed hope for closer cooperation in upgrading their bilateral free trade agreement as well as in the economic and artificial intelligence sectors.
In response, Lammy voiced his expectation that the two sides will closely communicate for the continued development of the bilateral relationship in key areas, including trade, defense and climate change.
The two ministers also exchanged their views on the security of the Korean Peninsula and the situation in Ukraine, and agreed to meet at an early date for in-depth discussions on further strengthening bilateral ties.
Earlier in May, the UK and South Korea signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), according to the statement released by UK Embassy in Seoul. The MoU enhances cooperation between the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the Korean Overseas Infrastructure and Urban Development Corporation (KIND) to work on Ukrainian reconstruction projects, as well as global infrastructure development in other markets.
In a press release, the UK Embassy in Seoul stated, “This first of its kind agreement signals an exciting opportunity for British and South Korean businesses to make a difference in Ukraine, as well as demonstrate their expertise to the global market, boosting both countries’ economies while being a force for good.”
The agreement was signed between the UK Business and Trade Minister, Gareth Thomas, and the KIND CEO, Bok Hwan Kim in London on May 22. The MoU will promote new UK-South Korean business partnerships across third markets in the fields of sustainable transport, healthcare infrastructure, smart cities and urban development, clean energy, water and waste management, and sustainable infrastructure and related technologies. This agreement will start urgent repairs in Ukraine to critical national infrastructure, including housing, hospitals and power generators.
–IANS
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