South Korea’s top trade official has met with senior U.S. officials and stressed the importance of building a mutually beneficial partnership between the two nations through trade negotiations. 

According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Thursday, Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo met with top U.S. officials on Wednesday, including Jason Smith, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee.

A South Korean delegation led by Yeo is visiting Washington from Sunday to Friday to hold the first high-level trade talks with the U.S. under the Lee administration.

In the meeting with Smith at his office, Yeo called for active U.S. support to ensure that South Korean companies can operate in a stable, predictable environment by taking their interests into consideration during discussions on a budget reconciliation bill.

The top trade official delivered a similar message in meetings with House Representative Carol Miller and with Adrian Smith, chair of the Trade Subcommittee under the House Ways and Means Committee, urging them to ensure that any U.S. policy changes do not undermine South Korean companies’ investments or business activities in the U.S.