Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul held his first phone talks with his Vietnamese counterpart, Bui Thanh Son, on Friday to discuss bilateral ties and regional security, the ministry said. During the talks, Cho called for expanded cooperation between the two countries in areas of diplomacy, economics, defense and others as they upgraded their ties to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" in 2022. He also asked for Vietnam's support in forging South Korea's comprehensive strategic partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of dialogue relations this year, according to the ministry. ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. Son said Vietnam places great importance on its relationship with South Korea and will continue to cooperate closely for the advancement of their bilateral ties and peace in the region. The two ministers also agreed to step up communication through h igh-level exchanges, including a meeting between the two foreign ministers, and exchanged their views on the security situation surrounding North Korea and the South China Sea. Friday's phone talks marked the fourth of their kind since Cho took office early this month. Cho has held phone talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong. Source: Yonhap News Agency
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