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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg arrived today on a visit to South Korea, BTA reports.

Seoul is the first stop on Stoltenberg's Asian tour, which also includes a visit to Japan and aims to strengthen relations with US allies in the region amid the war in Ukraine and rivalry with China.

In the South Korean capital, Stoltenberg met with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, and his schedule also included meetings with President Yoon Suk-yeol and Minister of National Defense Yi Jong-sup.

Stoltenberg: NATO countries look set to move towards higher defense spending

NATO is concerned about North Korea's "irresponsible" missile tests and its nuclear program, the secretary general said at the start of his meeting with South Korea's foreign minister.

Stoltenberg and Park Jin stressed that NATO countries and South Korea share common values.

"Given the unprecedented global challenges, we believe that solidarity between countries that share the values ​​of freedom, democracy and the rule of law is more important than ever," the South Korean minister said.

Tomorrow, Stoltenberg will leave for Tokyo, where he has scheduled meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other representatives of the Japanese authorities. 

South Korea

Jens Stoltenberg