Seoul: South Korea and Japan held the first-ever regular talks of their vice agriculture ministers Thursday, agreeing to continue holding regular dialogue on agricultural cooperation, Seoul’s agriculture ministry said. Vice Agriculture Minister Kang Hyoung-seok met with Yoichi Watanabe, Japan’s vice minister for international affairs at the agriculture ministry, in Seoul to discuss bilateral cooperation on agricultural technologies and food security, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the vice ministerial talks were established after the two countries agreed to hold regular high-level dialogue between agriculture officials during the Korea-Japan-China agriculture ministers’ meeting in August. “Korea and Japan share similar agricultural structures and challenges,” Kang said, noting the two countries can enhance their competitiveness in the sector through bilateral cooperation. “I hope this meeting will serve as a starting point for broadening agricultural cooperation between the two countries,” he added.