The foreign ministers of South Korea and Tunisia held talks Thursday to discuss forging closer bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy and trade, officials said.

Tunisian Foreign Minister Rafik Abdessalem arrived in Seoul Wednesday for a three-day visit.

During the talks, Kim hailed efforts by Tunisian citizens toward a transition to democracy after a popular revolt ousted longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011 and triggered a so-called “Arab Spring” movement throughout the region.

Kim also conveyed South Korea’s willingness to contribute to the process of democratization in Tunisia, said an official at Seoul’s foreign ministry.

In Seoul, Abdessalem plans to also meet Education Minister Lee Ju-ho and Park Dae-won, head of the Korea International Cooperation Agency, a state-run organization in charge of overseas development aid, the official said. 

(Yonhap News)