Ankara: South Korea and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have agreed to commence negotiations on a framework agreement concerning procurement. This decision is anticipated to facilitate South Korea's involvement in NATO's defense procurement industry, as announced by a presidential official.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the agreement was reached during a meeting between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, with Seoul's National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac providing details of the discussions. President Lee is attending the summit upon the invitation of the NATO chief.

The proposed procurement agreement, if finalized, would create an institutional basis for South Korean companies to access NATO's joint defense procurement market, which is valued at approximately 15 trillion won (US$9.9 billion), Wi stated. He also noted that NATO's defense market is the largest globally.

During the meeting, President Lee expressed his pleasure at meeting Rutte in person for the first time, while Rutte expressed gratitude towards Lee for his efforts in strengthening ties between South Korea and NATO.

The two-day NATO summit, concluding on Wednesday, gathers leaders from NATO's 32 member states, as well as partner nations, including South Korea. Concurrently, South Korea pledged US$100 million in assistance to Ukraine, currently in conflict with Russia. This pledge underscores Seoul's commitment to international peace and security, Wi added, emphasizing South Korea's readiness to participate in global peace restoration efforts in Ukraine.

However, the pledged assistance to Ukraine will exclude the provision of lethal weapons, as confirmed by a presidential official speaking anonymously. "Our position on assistance for Ukraine remains unchanged ... We will not provide lethal weapons," the official clarified, indicating that the support will focus on non-lethal areas.