NATO, South Korea 'share values, concerns': Secretary General Stoltenberg

By Beyza Binnur Donmez and Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – NATO and South Korea "share values and concerns," including support to Ukraine and Pyongyang's missile and nuclear activities, the NATO chief said on Monday.

"Wrapping up two days in Seoul, deepening NATO’s close partnership with South Korea," Jens Stoltenberg said on Twitter.

"We share values and concerns, including keeping pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its reckless missile and nuclear activities, and support for Ukraine," said Stoltenberg after his meeting with South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol.

"I look forward to doing even more together," he added.

Yoon, for his part, said Seoul will "continue to play a possible role in cooperation with the international community to help the people of Ukraine."

Yoon’s office said Stoltenberg invited him to NATO Summit to be held in Lithuania in the coming July.

Discussing the current situation in Ukraine, Stoltenberg lauded Seoul for its continued support to Kyiv “emphasizing the need to ensure the international community is not imprinted with the wrong message that an armed invasion is acceptable," the office added.

Early today, the NATO chief urged Seoul “to do more” on the lines of other nations which have “revised” their policies of not exporting weapons to countries engaged in conflict.

“There was an urgent need for ammunition,” Stoltenberg told a panel at Chey Institute for Advanced Studies in Seoul.