President Yoon Suk Yeol and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala address reporters during a joint press briefing held at the Czech government building in Prague, Friday (local time). Yonhap

PRAGUE, Czech Republic — President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to the Czech Republic has deepened the existing strategic partnership between the two countries, paving the way for more diverse and future-oriented cooperation.

Building on their robust nuclear energy alliance, the two nations plan to broaden their collaboration into key areas beyond nuclear energy, including political policy consultations, defense, and advanced fields like scientific research and battery technologies.

"With South Korea's participation in the Dukovany nuclear power plant project, we aim to institutionalize comprehensive nuclear cooperation that extends beyond nuclear plant construction to joint research and development, as well as workforce training. Based on this foundation, we hope that South Korea and the Czech Republic, as strategic partners, will evolve into a nuclear energy alliance that looks ahead to the next 100 years," Yoon said during a joint press briefing held together with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala at the Czech government building in Prague, Friday (local time).

As the two countries agreed to elevate their partnership, they signed a total of 56 memoranda of understanding (MOUs) across a wide range of sectors involving their governments, institutions, and private sectors.

Among the signed agreements, 13 MOUs focus on nuclear energy partnerships, establishing a solid institutional foundation for cooperation in this area. This strengthened nuclear power partnership will expand to encompass joint research and development initiatives, serving as a cornerstone of bilateral cooperation, according to the presidential office.

"In particular, I informed Prime Minister Fiala that the Korean government plans to invest $37 million over the next 10 years to promote joint research and development between the two countries in areas such as nuclear fuel technology, synthetic pharmaceuticals, and artificial intelligence. Through this, I hope that advanced scientific and technological cooperation will become a driving force for a new leap forward in the strategic partnership between South Korea and the Czech Republic," Yoon said at the press briefing.

This development coincides with the upcoming year, which will mark the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership.

"What makes such deep cooperation possible is that we share common values such as democracy, a just world order, and more. Both of our countries have experienced invasions in our histories, which have fostered a strong desire for freedom. This is why we support and stand with nations that have lost their freedom," the Czech prime minister said during the press briefing.

He emphasized that these bilateral projects are possible because of the genuine interest among the people of the two countries.

"There is active tourism exchange and a strong desire to understand each other's culture. For this reason, we have agreed to increase the number of flights, providing more opportunities to engage with one another. I believe that this will allow our strategic partnership to develop in a more meaningful and practical way," Fiala added.

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala applaud after Korea's trade minister Ahn Duk-geun, second from right, and his Czech counterpart Jozef Sikela, first from right, hold signed MOU documents during a joint press briefing held at the Czech government building in Prague, Friday (local time). Yonhap

During the joint press briefing, the finance, foreign, industry, and land ministers of both countries signed a total of eight MOUs while Yoon and Fiala looked on.

One of the agreements adopted at the event is the Action Plan for Implementing the Strategic Partnership between the Czech Republic and the Republic of Korea for 2025-2027. Under this plan, the two countries aim to deepen cooperation in various areas, including nuclear energy, defense, investments, science, technology and innovation, ICT, cybersecurity, infrastructure and transportation, as well as tourism, culture, and sports.

"Both sides will encourage R&D projects mainly in the areas of electric vehicle (EV) batteries and EV production, hydrogen technologies, AI, ICT, digital technologies, semiconductor development and production, photonics, advanced materials and machinery," according to the action plan. The two countries will also enhance the exchange of experiences and best practices in hydrogen technologies and their applications in clean mobility, public transport, the chemical industry, and energy production.

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala sign a turbine blade at the Doosan ?koda Power plant located in the Plzen Industrial Complex in the Czech Republic, Friday (local time). Yonhap

Earlier on the second day of the Korean president's state visit to the Czech Republic, he and the Czech prime minister visited Doosan Skoda Power and Skoda JS, both located in Plzen, about an hour southwest of Prague.

Doosan Skoda Power, 100 percent owned by Doosan Enerbility, produces steam turbines, a key component in nuclear power plants. Skoda JS, fully owned by the Czech Power Company, manufactures nuclear power plant maintenance parts and spent fuel storage casks.

Upon arriving at Doosan Skoda Power, Yoon and Fiala attended the "Nuclear Power Lifecycle Cooperation Agreement Ceremony," which marked the beginning of enhanced collaboration in essential areas of the nuclear power ecosystem, including design, operation, nuclear fuel, and radioactive waste management.

The two leaders signed a turbine blade, reaffirming their commitment to nuclear power cooperation. Both governments pledged to support collaboration between companies in South Korea and the Czech Republic in the construction of nuclear plants.

Meanwhile, the Czech prime minister is scheduled to visit South Korea next year, and he expressed his anticipation and gratitude for the official invitation.