Seoul: Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held phone talks Wednesday with his Finnish counterpart, Elina Valtonen, to discuss bilateral relations and global issues, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

According to Yonhap News Agency, during the talks, Cho assessed that South Korea and Finland have been strengthening substantive cooperation in areas such as the defense industry and critical minerals. He expressed hope to further deepen cooperation through active high-level exchanges.

Valtonen noted the great potential for collaboration between the two nations in defense, science and technology, and economic security. She proposed continued discussions to elevate bilateral ties to a higher level, as reported by the ministry.