S. Korea, Saudi Arabia hold senior-level defense talks in Riyadh

South Korea and Saudi Arabia have held vice ministerial defense talks in Riyadh to discuss ways to boost arms industry cooperation, Seoul's defense ministry said Tuesday.

Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul and Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, chief of Saudi Arabia's General Staff, attended the third session of the bilateral committee on defense cooperation Monday, as the two sides have sought to bolster cooperation since their leaders' summit in Seoul last November.

Shin noted the need for further cooperation in such areas as arms industry, education and training, and high-level military personnel exchange, the ministry said in a press release.

He also asked for Riyadh's support for Seoul's efforts for peace on the Korean Peninsula, noting North Korea's nuclear and missile threats pose a challenge not only to the peace and security of Northeast Asia but also to the Indo-Pacific region and the world, it added.

On Sunday, Shin held talks with Khaled bin Hussein Al Biyari, Saudi Arabia's assistant minister of defense for executive affairs, and thanked the country for providing support in Seoul's operation to evacuate its nationals from conflict-torn Sudan in April.

Through the two senior-level meetings, the two sides agreed to further strengthen bilateral defense and arms industry cooperation, the ministry said.

Shin departed South Korea on Saturday for a six-day Middle East trip that includes a visit to the United Arab Emirates.