South Korea's foreign minister and his Israeli counterpart have discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation in the economic and high-tech areas, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se held talks with Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's top diplomat, in Jerusalem Monday, the third leg of Yun's seven-day tour of the Middle East, according to the ministry.

Seoul's foreign minister embarked on a trip to the region Thursday to discuss cooperation in the field of the so-called "creative economy" and security issues in Northeast Asia and the Middle East. The trip includes stops in Jordan, Israel, Palestine and Saudi Arabia.

Seoul's vision of the creative economy calls for revitalizing the economy and creating jobs by turning creative ideas into real businesses through science and information technology.

At the meeting, Lieberman raised the need to open negotiations for a free trade agreement between Seoul and Jerusalem swiftly to expand trade, according to the foreign ministry.

Yun responded that Seoul plans to consider the offer after consultations with other government agencies.

The two diplomats also agreed to strengthen their strategic communication, given security concerns in Northeast Asia and the Middle East.

The Seoul government said that they shared the view for the need to cooperate in the fields of counter-terrorism and cyber security.

The two countries have also signed a treaty to recognize each other's driver's licenses, making South Korea the first country to do so with Israel, it added.

The move will allow South Koreans who legally reside in Israel to use a valid Seoul-issued driver's license.

Yun also traveled to Saudi Arabia, the final leg of his trip, on Tuesday, to meet with Muhammad Al-Jasse, minister of Saudi Arabia's economy and planning, to discuss ways to cooperate in trade and investment, the ministry added.

Seoul has asked Riyadh to have Korean firms join its major infrastructure projects, including nuclear reactors and renewable energy-related facilities, it said.

It has also appealed to Saudi Arabia to make efforts to stabilize the oil supply market, given the recent sharp falls in oil prices. Seoul relies on imports for virtually all its oil needs.

"There is the need to strengthen mechanism for economic cooperation and connectivity between companies," Yun said in a keynote speech for the Korea-Saudi joint committee. "In this regard, I think that it is important to resume free trade talks between Seoul and members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in the near future."

The GCC consists of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait, and its member states hold around 40 percent of the world's oil reserves.

Seoul and the six Gulf states kicked off their talks for a free trade deal in 2008, but no major progress has been made since then. (Yonhap)