South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide on Wednesday to discuss practical cooperation and exchange views on regional and global issues.

According to the foreign ministry, Cho met Eide on Wednesday morning welcomed the expansion of bilateral defense ties, including an additional contract signed in September for South Korea’s K9 self-propelled howitzers.

He said the two countries should further deepen mutually beneficial cooperation based on growing trust and shared interests.

Eide expressed hope to expand cooperation beyond traditional areas such as shipbuilding, maritime affairs, fisheries, and the Arctic into future-oriented sectors including critical minerals and advanced technologies.

The two ministers also exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the war in Ukraine, and developments in the Middle East.

They agreed to continue close communication and cooperation on international economic order and other major global challenges.