Leaders of S. Korea, Austria agree to strengthen bilateral ties

문 대통령, 오스트리아 총리와 정상회담…"양국, 밝은 미래 만드는 데 협력"<br /><br /> President Moon Jae-in held a summit meeting with the Chancellor of Austria, Sebastian Kurz.<br />The duo pledged to increase their countries' bilateral cooperation.<br />"I'm very glad that South Korea and Austria have developed their friendly cooperative relationship over the years, sharing common values, such as democracy and human rights. I hope our two countries will continue their close cooperation and build a bright future together."<br />It's the first visit to South Korea by a sitting Austrian Chancellor in 19 years.<br />Despite the global trend towards protectionism, President Moon and his Austrian counterpart welcomed their countries record-high bilateral trade last year, which stands at about 2-point-9 billion U.S. dollars, and agreed to expand it via the South Korea - EU FTA.<br />They are looking to improve bilateral cooperation and exchanges in the political and academic areas as well.<br />The two leaders also called for joint efforts to tackle various issues,... including the denuclearization of North Korea.