Seoul: Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and his United Arab Emirates (UAE) counterpart, Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, engaged in discussions on Tuesday to enhance bilateral defense cooperation and explore joint development opportunities in the arms industry, as reported by Seoul's defense ministry.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the defense chiefs convened in Seoul for the ministerial Joint Higher Military Committee meeting. This meeting occurred less than a month after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan committed to deepening bilateral cooperation in artificial intelligence, the defense industry, and energy sectors during their summit in Abu Dhabi.

During the meeting, Ahn emphasized the critical role that defense and arms industry cooperation has played in strengthening bilateral ties. In response, the UAE defense chief noted that such cooperation would serve as a foundation for a mutually beneficial relationship, as stated by the ministry.

The ministers agreed to expand cooperation in high-tech areas within the defense sector, including cyber affairs, space, and AI, along with personnel exchanges, military education, and combined drills for mid- to long-term planning. In the arms industry, they concurred on establishing a cooperative model aimed at joint development and export of weapons systems, according to the ministry.