By Xu Aiying

President Yoon Suk Yeol on April 23 hosted a bilateral summit with visiting Romanian President Klaus Iohannis at the Office of the President in Seoul on boosting practical cooperation.

Both leaders praised the steady growth of bilateral trade to a record high last year. Per an agreement on defense cooperation signed on the sidelines of the summit, the two countries will form an optimal partnership in the defense industry by promoting education, training exchange and technological collaboration.

"Both countries are discussing defense cooperation in several items following the export of Korea's Chiron (portable surface-to-air) missile at the end of last year," President Yoon said. "I hope that Korea as a strategic partner can actively contribute to Romania's military modernization."

President Iohannis said, "Our bilateral cooperation in the defense industry has grown more important due to the geopolitical and security situation," adding, "We take defense cooperation with Korea very seriously."

Both sides mentioned growing bilateral cooperation in nuclear power plants with Korean participation in an international consortium that won a contract to build tritium removal facilities at the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant in Romania. A recently signed memorandum of understanding will also reinforce such collaboration.

Turning to the Korean Peninsula, the two leaders condemned North Korea's continued provocations and military cooperation between the North and Russia and agreed to closely cooperate with the world to denuclearize Pyeongyang and promote human rights in the North.

They also said cooperation between Korea and Europe is growingly more crucial amid the changing international situation and pledged to work together to boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and between Korea and NATO.

They adopted the Joint Statement on Strengthening the Strategic Partnership between Korea and Romania to develop bilateral cooperation in a more strategic and future-oriented way.

Taking office in 2014, President Iohannis made his first visit to Korea. In July last year, he and President Yoon held a bilateral summit on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Lithuania.

xuaiy@korea.kr