By Kim Ji-eun

President Yoon Suk-yeol held a summit with visiting Estonian President Alar Karis and exchanged views on the development of bilateral relations, ways to strengthen practical cooperation, and trends in the international situation on Oct. 12.

President Yoon praised the active cooperation between Korea and Estonia, two IT powerhouses, in areas such as cybersecurity and e-government, and expressed his hope that cooperation will expand to various fields such as R&D and defense. 

President Karis responded that he hopes to expand cooperation, especially in the areas of defense and digital, where Korea has a globally competitive defense industry.

The two leaders also agreed to strengthen cooperation on the international stage. President Karis said that any illegal armed aggression, including the invasion of Ukraine, is unacceptable in the international community, and President Yoon said that they will work together to uphold the norm-based order and promote peace in the international community. 

The two leaders also shared their concerns about the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, and agreed to work together for the security and peace of the Korean Peninsula.

President Yoon explained that the Busan World Expo, which Korea is bidding to host, will be a place of solidarity to promote freedom, peace, and prosperity in human society, and President Karis noted that one of the reasons for the visit of a large number of businessmen was to discuss the status of Korea's preparations for the Busan World Expo and ways to promote economic cooperation between Korea and Estonia.

Following the party meeting, President Yoon attended the signing ceremony of the Korea-Estonia Aviation Agreement. The two leaders welcomed the agreement, which was signed on the sidelines of the summit, as an important institutional foundation for expanding human and material exchanges between the two countries.