SEOUL-- South Korea and Australia held "two plus two" talks involving their foreign and defense ministers Monday to discuss bilateral cooperation and regional security, officials said.

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Defense Minister Suh Wook met with their Australian counterparts, Marise Payne and Peter Dutton, respectively, during their fifth biennial ministerial talks. Their previous talks were held in Sydney in December 2019.

Payne and Dutton were in Seoul this week in the third leg of their regional tour that also took them to Indonesia and India before coming to Seoul. They will later head to the United States.

Announcing the trip last week, Australia said the talks will advance its efforts to work with partners for positive and proactive contribution to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

"We share democratic values ... We champion free and open trade. We understand the value of multilateralism. Our leaders agreed at the G7 plus summit in Cornwall, to elevate our important relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership," Payne said at the start of the talks.

"These are milestones which reaffirm the commitment between Australia and the Republic of Korea to realize our common aims for the Indo Pacific," she said.

Payne went on to note that there have been "significant changes" since the previous two plus two meeting in 2019, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and "foreign interference that threaten regional peace and stability," an apparent allusion to China's assertiveness.

"This 2+2 meeting will be important in shaping how Australia and the ROK can progress an agenda of cooperation that contributes to and supports regional peace and stability," she said, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.

Calling South Korea and Australia "middle powers that represent the Indo-Pacific region," Chung stressed that Seoul values its relationship with Canberra as a country "that shares similar interests."

"It is very timely to have this two plus two meeting between the two countries as the need for communication and cooperation between middle powers like Korea and Australia is becoming more important," he said.

The Australian defense chief took note of "intensifying regional strategic challenges," stressing the South Korea-Australia partnership has "never been more important."

"There is economic coercion and foreign interference. There are cyber attacks and tactics that our respective countries are very familiar with," he said without specifying from which country these challenges emanate. "The region is rearming and modernizing capabilities at an alarming rate."

Dutton also stressed the need to build capabilities to meet the "challenges of today and the future."

"We should enhance defense cooperation across the maritime, air and space domains," he said. "In particular, defense industry, science and technology will be force multipliers and enablers."

The four were to hold a joint press conference following the talks.

During Monday's talks, they were also expected to share assessments on North Korea's latest launches of a new type of long-range cruise missile, which took place over the weekend.

The North is banned from using ballistic technology under multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions. Cruise missiles, however, are not subject to the sanctions as they are considered less of a threat than ballistic missiles.

Also on the table will likely be ways to boost cooperation in the economy and other fields, including natural resources and hydrogen energy.

Ahead of the two plus two talks, Suh and Dutton met one-on-one to discuss cooperation in the security and defense industry fields, including Seoul's plan to participate in the Australia-led multilateral air exercise named Pitch Black next year, the defense ministry said.

Payne and Dutton also paid a courtesy call on President Moon Jae-in earlier in the day.

Source: Yonhap News Agency