S. Korea, UAE vow to strengthen defense ties during vice-ministerial meeting

SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Vice Defense Minister Park Jae-min held talks with his counterpart of the United Arab Emirate on Monday to discuss regional security issues and explore ways to deepen their defense cooperation, the defense ministry in Seoul said.

Park visited the Middle Eastern country for a four-day stay from Saturday at the invitation of Matar Salem Ali Al Dhaheri, the UAE's under-secretary of defense. The UAE is the first leg of his two-nation trip that also includes Vietnam.

During the Steering Committee meeting in the UAE, the vice ministers shared their assessment on the security situations of their regions and agreed to boost the bilateral defense relationship to help establish peace, according to the ministry.

The two sides also discussed ways to deepen ties in the defense and arms industry fields, it added.

During his stay, Park is scheduled to meet senior defense officials, as well as South Korean troops of the Akh unit which has been on a mission there since 2011 to train UAE service members and protect Korean nationals in emergencies, according to the ministry.

graceoh@yna.co.kr
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