Seoul, Oct 9 (IANS) Senior defence officials of South Korea and Japan have held talks in Tokyo and reaffirmed the importance of close cooperation to tackle North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, Seoul’s defence ministry said Friday.
South Korea’s Vice Defence Minister Lee Doo-hee met with his Japanese counterpart, Atsushi Ando, as he made a two-day visit to Japan from Thursday, according to the defence ministry. Earlier, Lee paid a courtesy call on Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.
Lee’s trip came at the invitation of Ando, who visited Seoul in May for the two nations’ security policy consultations and in September to attend the Seoul Defence Dialogue, Yonhap News Agency reported.
During the latest talks, Lee and Ando reaffirmed the importance of close coordination between the two nations and also among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo to respond to North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile threats amid a rapidly changing international security environment and under a grave security situation on the Korean Peninsula, the ministry said.
The officials also agreed to push for defence cooperation and exchanges in such advanced science and technology sectors as artificial intelligence (AI) and unmanned systems and in a future-oriented manner.
Last month, senior defence officials of South Korea and Japan reaffirmed that their trilateral cooperation with the United States is vital to ensuring peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and beyond, also pledging continued efforts to expand defence exchanges.
South Korea’s Vice Defence Minister Lee Doo-hee shared the view with his Japanese counterpart, Atsushi Ando, during their talks on the margins of the Seoul Defence Dialogue, Seoul’s defence ministry said in a release.
“Both sides agreed that bilateral and trilateral cooperation between South Korea, Japan and the US is crucial for maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and across the region,” the ministry said.
“The two sides agreed to maintain communication and ongoing efforts to foster stable, mutually beneficial and forward-looking defence exchanges based on mutual understanding and trust,” it added.
Ando was attending the forum in place of Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who skipped the event after his visit to a controversial wartime shrine in Tokyo, seen as a symbol of Japan’s imperialistic past, drew criticism from Seoul and other neighbouring countries.
–IANS
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