South Korea and Portugal agreed during their prime ministerial talks Wednesday to expand cooperation on development, digital and pending global issues, as their prime ministers had talks here.

Prime Minister Antonio Costa arrived in Seoul the previous day, becoming Portugal's first prime minister to make an official trip to South Korea in 39 years.

Speaking with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Costa expressed Portugal's willingness to strengthen ties with South Korea, which is an "important economic cooperation partner" at a time when the global supply chain crisis intensifies, according to Han's office.

Han pointed out that two-way trade has constantly grown and bilateral economic partnerships have been expanding to various sectors, including renewable energy.

He requested Portugal's support for South Korea's bid to bring the 2030 World Expo to its southern port city of Busan.

Costa was quoted as saying he expects cooperation, going forward, between Portugal, which is rich in lithium, and South Korea, a leading nation in such fields as semiconductors and electric vehicle batteries.

On the occasion of their talks, meanwhile, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on promoting cooperation between their agencies on development.

The Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul also signed an MOU with Camoes Institute for Cooperation and Language, which is affiliated with the Portuguese foreign ministry, on partnerships.

Source: Yonhap News Agency