SEOUL, April 14 (Yonhap) — President Yoon Suk Yeol met with the foreign ministers of Canada and France on Friday and discussed bilateral ties with the two countries, his office said.

Yoon met for the first time with Canadian Secretary of State Melanie Joly and recalled the warm welcome he received during his visit to Canada last September, according to Presidential Spokesman Lee Do-woon.

Yoon said he hopes the two countries will make full use of their potential to develop bilateral ties as the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations begins this year.

Yoon also expressed his desire for South Korea and Canada to jointly lead international efforts to improve the human rights situation in North Korea, while stressing the importance of solidarity between nations to promote freedom and human rights.

He added that he would like to meet again with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the near future to discuss ways of developing bilateral relations.

Joly replied that she would actively support South Korea’s efforts to improve the human rights situation in North Korea, and called for strengthening South Korea-Canada solidarity and cooperation in the region.

During his meeting with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, Yoon spoke about South Korea-France relations and said he hopes that the ties will continue to develop as France is an important partner who values ​​the universal principles of freedom, human rights and share in democracy.

In particular, he would like closer cooperation in areas such as semiconductors, batteries, space and nuclear energy, based on the cultural and human exchanges achieved between the two countries.

Yoon also said he plans to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron soon to discuss the development of bilateral ties.

Colonna delivered Macron’s friendly greetings and said she hopes the two countries will develop their solidarity and cooperation based on their shared values ​​of the rule of law and democracy.