The top diplomats of South Korea and Britain discussed bilateral ties and cooperation on Tuesday. 

Seoul’s foreign ministry said Wednesday that Foreign Minister Cho Hyun had met for the first time with Yvette Cooper, the United Kingdom's secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs, the previous day on the sidelines of the Group of Seven(G7) foreign ministerial meeting in Canada.

During the discussion, Cho expressed hope that the two nations will upgrade the South Korea-UK Free Trade Agreement to strengthen their economic cooperation.

Cooper said she hoped the two nations would explore new areas of cooperation in fields such as artificial intelligence, climate and defense, emphasizing that collaboration in renewable energy could contribute to economic growth and job creation.

The ministers also exchanged views on major international issues, including conflicts on the Korean Peninsula and in Ukraine, and agreed to cooperate closely on global challenges.