South Korea, Uzbekistan to boost defence ties

South Korea and Uzbekistan agreed Tuesday to expand cooperation in military education and personnel exchange.

South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo and his Uzbek counterpart, Kabul Berdiev, signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on promoting bilateral partnerships following their talks here, according to Seoul's defense ministry.

"The MOU aims to promote the exchange among the two nations' service personnel and military students through which the two sides are expected to share military-related know-how and deepen relations," a ministry spokesman said.

During the talks, the ministers also discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including the regional security situation, according to South Korea's (Yonhap) News Agency.

Berdiev arrived in Seoul on Monday for a five-day visit -- the first trip by the Central Asian country's top defense official to South Korea in seven years.
While staying here, he plans to visit major defense firms to seek cooperation.