South Korea's Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Tuesday held talks with a visiting Angolan minister over bilateral cooperation on an array of issues, including North Korean provocations, Seoul officials said.
During his meeting with Angola's Foreign Minister Georges Rebelo Chikoti, Hwang took note of the African state's cooperation in enforcing international sanctions against Pyongyang, which has heightened cross-border tensions with a series of missile tests in recent months.
South Korea's Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn (R) shakes hands with Angola's Foreign Minister Georges Rebelo Chikoti at his office in Seoul on April 18, 2017. (Yonhap)
Chikoti pledged to closely cooperate with Seoul in addressing persistent security threats from Pyongyang, Hwang's office said in a press release.
On the economic front, Hwang expressed his expectation for expanded business exchanges. Chikoti explained to him Angola's efforts to diversify its economy and called for greater cooperation from Seoul.
Last year, two-way trade reached $730 million with South Korea exporting to Angola $550 million worth of products, such as cars and construction equipment, and importing 170 million worth of items such as liquefied petroleum gas and iron.
During the meeting, Chikoti delivered to Hwang a letter from Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos. In the letter, the president "highly" evaluated the bilateral relationship, which was established in 1992, and voiced hopes for its continued development, according to the press release. (Yonhap)