Gyeongju: The top diplomats of South Korea and Australia agreed Thursday to step up bilateral ties in areas of trade and defense as they met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering in the southeastern city of Gyeongju, Seoul's foreign ministry said.
According to Yonhap News Agency, during the meeting, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun expressed hope that their bilateral cooperation will further advance into a mutually beneficial partnership in strategic areas, such as investment, defense, critical minerals, and clean energy.
In response, his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong, also recognized the importance of strengthening their ties as like-minded partners amid the rapidly changing security environment. Wong voiced hope for close communication between the two countries to continue at all levels, including the "two plus two" meeting of foreign and defense ministers.
Cho also explained the South Korean government's efforts to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula and called for Australia's support in promoting peace on the peninsula, the ministry said.