SEOUL, First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun met with his Czech counterpart, Jan Marian, on Tuesday to discuss various bilateral and global issues, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Marian, deputy minister of foreign affairs, is currently visiting the country to attend the third Summit for Democracy. Kim expressed hope for enhanced cooperation between the two countries as strategic partners, according to the ministry. He also asked for the Czech government's support for a Korean company seeking to win the Dukovany nuclear power plant project. In January, Prague selected Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. and Electricite de France as the two finalists for the project. The winner is expected to be determined by June. Marian was quoted as saying that the Czech government is well aware of South Korea's technological capabilities and experience. On North Korea, the two officials shared their concerns about Pyongyang's continued provocations and the threat posed by North Korea-Russia military cooperation to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Europe, the ministry said. They agreed to cooperate in preventing Pyongyang from evading U.N. Security Council sanctions and counter North Korea-Russia military cooperation, while also seeking to advance North Korea's denuclearization process and promote human rights in the reclusive North, it added. They also stressed the need for the countries to closely cooperate with the international community to swiftly end the war in Ukraine and restore peace there. Source: Yonhap News Agency