South Korea and Canada have agreed to increase cooperation on international issues, including the financial crisis, climate change and the promotion of free trade.

The agreement came during a bilateral meeting between President Lee Myung-bak and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the sidelines of a U.N. summit on climate change in New York on Wednesday, Korean time.

The two discussed ways to promote bilateral cooperation and relations and vowed to work together in yielding significant results in the Group of 20 summit that will open in Pittsburgh on Thursday.

The two leaders also exchanged views on ways to expand human exchanges and boost cooperation in energy and resources. They agreed to work to continuously develop the so-called “South Korea-Canada Special Partnership.”