Yoon, New Zealand PM agree on need to increase cooperation in trade, defense

▲ South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) shakes hands with New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins during their talks in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11, 2023, on the sidelines of a two-day summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. (Yonhap)

Yoon-New Zealand PM

Yoon, New Zealand PM agree on need to increase cooperation in trade, defense

By Lee Haye-ah

VILNIUS, July 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins agreed on the need to expand cooperation in trade, defense and personnel exchanges as they met on the sidelines of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday, the presidential office said.

During the first bilateral summit in five years, the two leaders talked about ways to develop cooperation between key partners in the Indo-Pacific region and nations sharing the universal values of freedom, human rights and the rule of law, according to the office.

They noted it was encouraging that bilateral trade more than doubled following the entry into force of their free trade agreement in 2015 and agreed on the need to expand bilateral cooperation in multiple directions, including on the economy and trade, national defense and personnel exchanges.

They also agreed to work closely to maintain stable regional supply chains by making full use of the supply chain cooperation mechanism offered by the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, which both countries belong to.

Moreover, they agreed to provide the necessary support to expand people-to-people exchanges through working holiday and study abroad programs and tourism.

Yoon requested New Zealand's support for South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in its southeastern city of Busan, and Hipkins replied he would take note, according to the presidential office.

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