The foreign ministries of South Korea and Syria held their first director-level policy consultation since the two nations established diplomatic relations in April.

According to Seoul’s foreign ministry, Chung Kwang-yong, Director-General of the ministry’s African and Middle East affairs bureau, held talks with Yousef Al-Hajjar, chief of the Syrian foreign ministry’s general secretariat for political affairs, in Damascus on Thursday.

Both sides said the inaugural meeting would serve as an important milestone in expanding mutual trust and as a foundation for bilateral cooperation.

The two sides also exchanged views on bilateral relations and practical cooperation across areas, including economics and culture.

Chung congratulated Syria on what he described as its significant achievements as a member of the international community over the past few years. He proposed that the two countries continue to explore mutual cooperation.