Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul speaks by phone with Kaja Kallas, the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, on Wednesday. (Yonhap)
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul speaks by phone with Kaja Kallas, the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul spoke by phone Wednesday with Kaja Kallas, foreign policy chief of the European Union, and agreed to make joint efforts to stop the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, Cho's office said.

It was the first phone talk between Cho and Kallas, the EU's new high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, since Kallas took office on Dec. 1 as the top diplomat for the 27-member bloc.

"They strongly condemned the illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea in support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a threat to global security, including that of Korea and Europe, and agreed to continue working together to halt this military cooperation," the ministry said in a release.

Cho and Kallas both noted the relations between South Korea and the EU as a "strategic partnership" that should continue to further advance in various areas, such as politics, the economy and security.

They also agreed to meet in person at an early date for further discussions on bilateral cooperation and other issues, the ministry said. (Yonhap)