President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a summit meeting with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis at the presidential office in Seoul, April 23, in this photo provided by Yoon's office. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis agreed Tuesday to boost cooperation in the defense and nuclear energy sectors as part of efforts to strengthen their countries' strategic partnership.

The two leaders reached the agreement during a summit held on the second day of Iohannis' four-day official visit to South Korea, which produced a joint statement on strengthening the strategic partnership established in 2008.

"Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continue their bilateral dialogue and consultations on defense-related issues, including through the Joint Defense Industry and Logistics Committee, to exchange information and to increase their cooperation in the defense industry field, through joint production of military equipment and defense technology cooperation," the statement said.

"Both sides also agreed to cooperate in the fields of military education and training, military medicine, sports and cultural exchanges, exchange of information and experience."

Negotiations are currently under way to export various weapons systems to Romania, after the country placed an order for South Korea's Chiron surface-to-air missiles last November, according to the presidential office.

The two sides also discussed cooperation in the nuclear energy sector while reaffirming their commitment to transitioning away from fossil fuels.

"In order to combat the effects of climate change and with the aim to increase energy security in their respective regions, both sides will increase cooperation through bilateral consultations, participation in joint energy projects with a focus on technologies for nuclear energy, both for large scale, and small modular reactors, hydrogen, renewable energy and increased investments," the statement said.

To explore areas of cooperation in the nuclear energy sector, Iohannis plans to visit a Doosan Enerbility plant in Changwon, 298 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Wednesday. The company specializes in building plants and providing solutions in the thermal, nuclear and renewable energy sectors.

The two sides also agreed on the need for closer cooperation against threats to the rules-based international order, such as Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

On the occasion of the summit, the countries signed five accords: an agreement on defense cooperation, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cultural and sports cooperation, an MOU on nuclear energy cooperation, an agreement on cooperation in emergency disaster situations and disaster safety control, and an MOU on promoting bilateral trade and investment. (Yonhap)