South Korea and Britain have agreed that they have great potential for partnerships in weapons development and trade, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
  

In their talks here this week, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his British counterpart Philip Hammond noted that two-way trade reached US$13.2 billion last year.
  

"They shared the opinion that bilateral economic cooperation is diversifying and potential is great for defense industry cooperation," the ministry said. It did not elaborate on plans for defense industry ties.
  

Yun requested Britain play a "constructive role" in efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, according to the ministry.
  

Hammond also said the recent Iranian nuclear deal demonstrates the effectiveness of a two-track approach: sanctions and pressure coupled with negotiations.
  

The ministry briefed the media on the results of the Ministerial Strategic Dialogue held in Seoul on Monday, the second of its kind.
  

It was the fruit of President Park Geun-hye's visit to London in 2013. The two sides held the first round of strategic talks in the British capital in late 2014, focusing on security issues and cooperation on global issues including climate change.
  

The dialogue session is part of South Korea's efforts to improve relations with the so-called Big Three in the European Union, Germany, Britain, and France, officials said. (Yonhap)