Seoul, April 3 (NationPress) The top military officials from South Korea and France convened in Seoul on Friday to deliberate on the current regional security landscape and explore avenues to enhance their collaborative efforts in defence and arms manufacturing, as reported by South Korea's defence ministry.

The discussions involved Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back and his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin, coinciding with summit talks between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron in Seoul.

During the ministerial meeting, Ahn highlighted the significance of the 140-year milestone in diplomatic relations and expressed gratitude to France for its role in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Both leaders acknowledged the growing uncertainties within the international security sphere, particularly due to escalating tensions in the Middle East and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. They agreed on the necessity to strengthen strategic communication and coordination to uphold peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific.

Ahn emphasized that North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile capabilities, coupled with its illicit military collaborations with Russia, pose a serious challenge not only to the Korean Peninsula but to the global community. He sought France's continued support for Seoul's initiatives aimed at denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and achieving lasting peace.

Additionally, the defence chiefs noted that their collaboration in military training and space-related matters has broadened, agreeing to further enhance cooperation in various security domains.

They recognized that France and South Korea are competitive partners in the arms industry and called for an expansion of their cooperation in this sector in a mutually beneficial manner, as stated by the ministry.

On the same day, South Korea and France signed a preliminary agreement aimed at enhancing cooperation in supporting veterans from the 1950-53 Korean War, according to Seoul's veterans ministry.

Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul and Catherine Vautrin participated in the signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding concerning veterans' affairs, as reported by the ministry.

This agreement outlines a commitment by both agencies to collaborate in gathering and sharing records of France's contributions during the Korean War, ensuring respect for veterans and their families, and establishing a commemorative facility to honor deceased war veterans.

This agreement follows a previously signed letter of intent regarding veterans affairs in 2023.

During the Korean War, France deployed 3,421 military personnel, suffering significant casualties, with 269 soldiers losing their lives and 1,008 others sustaining injuries.