(MENAFN) South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong agreed on Sunday to establish a strategic alliance between their nations and intensify cooperation in sectors such as defense and commerce.

The leaders revealed the creation of this partnership during a joint press briefing in Seoul, following summit talks held during Wong's official visit to South Korea, a news agency reported.

President Lee highlighted the shared experiences of the two countries, saying, “Our two countries have many similarities, in that we have both achieved remarkable growth based on human capital and an open free trade order despite limited land, scarce resources, and challenging geopolitical environment.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Wong noted, “President Lee and I just now reaffirmed the excellent state of our relationship, and the vast potential for us to do more together,” as cited by a media outlet.

The nations committed to deepening cooperation in multiple areas, including security, defense, artificial intelligence (AI), advanced technologies, people-to-people exchanges, and tackling transnational crimes such as online scams.

Under the framework of the strategic partnership, South Korea and Singapore will also intensify their efforts to address global challenges like climate change and cross-border criminal activities, adapting to the evolving international order that has traditionally supported global prosperity, according to the presidential office.

Additionally, the two countries signed several memorandums of understanding (MOUs) covering digital collaboration, logistics and shipping, cultural and sports initiatives, healthcare, people-to-people programs, and AI safety.

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