The Ministry of National Defense said Minister Ahn Gyu-baek held a bilateral meeting on the 7th at the ministry headquarters with Philippine Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro and discussed defense and defense industry cooperation plans and the regional situation.
The two ministers agreed to activate cooperation in a wide range of areas, including regular consultations, personnel exchanges, and combined exercises, as well as future defense ministers' talks. In the defense industry sector, they agreed to go beyond existing cooperation and further strengthen practical cooperation.
The Philippines is one of Korea's leading defense industry cooperation partners. It has successively introduced 24 FA-50 light attack aircraft (two contracts), four frigates, two patrol vessels, and six offshore patrol vessels, and is operating Korean-made weapons systems as its mainstay forces.
Minister Ahn explained the excellence of Korea's Army, Navy, and Air Force weapons systems and asked for attention to Korean corporations participating in the Philippine military modernization program. Minister Teodoro also highly evaluated Korea's defense industry capabilities and expressed expectations for expanding the defense industry partnership.
Lee Doo-hee, Vice Minister of the Ministry of National Defense, also met separately that day with Patrick Mariru, principal secretary of the Kenya Ministry of Defense, and Dashzevegd Basandamba, vice minister of the Mongolia Ministry of Defense, to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in defense and the defense industry.
The talks were held on the occasion of the Seoul Defense Dialogue. Marking its 15th edition this year, the Seoul Defense Dialogue will be held from the 7th to the 9th at The Lotte Hotel Seoul in Jung-gu, Seoul.