South Korea's defence chief holds talks with officials from NATO, Saudi Arabia

Seoul, Oct 20 (IANS) South Korea's Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Monday held back-to-back bilateral talks with senior officials from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Romania and Saudi Arabia to discuss ways to expand defence and arms industry cooperation, his office said.

In his meeting with Radmila Shekerinska, deputy secretary general of NATO, Ahn underscored the importance of their cooperation and requested support for efforts to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula, according to the defence ministry, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The defence chief also held talks with Gen. Fayyadh bin Hamed Al Ruwaili, chief of the general staff of the Saudi armed forces, to discuss ways to expand their cooperation in the construction and energy sectors, as well as the defence and arms industry.

Ahn stressed that North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile capabilities are posing a threat to the international community and Al Ruwaili expressed his support for Seoul's policy on North Korea, the ministry said.

In a follow-up meeting with Saleh bin Abdulrahman Al-Harbi, chief of staff of the Saudi Arabian National Guard, Ahn underscored his hopes for South Korea's role as a key partner in Saudi's Vision 2030 initiative.

The minister had separate talks with Maj. Gen. Rashed Mohammed A. Al Shamsi, commander of the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence, to discuss ways to expand bilateral cooperation in areas such as space and artificial intelligence.

Ahn separately met with Radu-Dinel Miruta, Romania's minister of economy, entrepreneurship and tourism, and requested support for South Korean defence firms seeking to take part in the country's bid to modernize its military.

The talks took place on the sidelines of the Seoul International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition, South Korea's largest biennial aerospace and defence trade show, under way through Friday.

--IANS

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