Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Thursday held talks with his Swedish counterpart to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the defense sector and the arms industry, the defense ministry said.
During his meeting with Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson held in Stockholm, Ahn said it was "deeply meaningful" for him to visit Sweden as the first South Korean defense chief and to hold the first South Korea-Sweden defense ministerial meeting in 14 years, according to the ministry.
Ahn expressed appreciation for Sweden's continued contribution to bring peace and stability to the Korean Peninsula, including its dispatch of medical personnel during the 1950–53 Korean War.
He also highly evaluated Sweden's efforts to bolster its defense capabilities since joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in March last year.
Jonson stressed that Sweden's cooperation with South Korea, a key nation in the Indo-Pacific region, has become "more important than ever" amid deepening security linkages between Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
Both sides agreed to work closely in areas of artificial intelligence, manned–unmanned teaming, aerospace, drones and counter-drone technologies. (Yonhap)
