Yoon, Saudi crown prince agree to strengthen exchanges, cooperation

President Yoon Suk Yeol shakes hands with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before their summit in Seoul, Nov. 17, 2022. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk Yeol held telephone talks with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during which they agreed to strengthen exchanges and cooperation of their countries in various fields, Yoon's office said Saturday.

In the phone call, which was made Friday, Yoon and Salman praised the progress of bilateral cooperation that has been made in a wide range of areas since the crown prince's visit to Korea last year.

They also agreed to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the economy and various other fields, according to the presidential office.

Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, visited Korea, Nov. 17 last year. He met with Yoon as well as major political and business figures, including Lee Jae-yong, chairman of Samsung Electronics, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Euisun Chung, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, during his 20-hour stay.

During their meeting, Yoon and Salman agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fields of energy, defense, infrastructure and construction.

The combined scale of contracts and memorandums of understanding that South Korean firms signed with the Saudi Arabian government, businesses and institutions on the occasion of Salman's visit is estimated at $30 billion. (Yonhap)