South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Wednesday and formally informed him of Seoul's decision to open an embassy in Vilnius, his office said.

The two held a summit in Vilnius on the sidelines of a gathering of leaders from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which South Korea was invited to as a partner nation.

Yoon called for expanding cooperation with Lithuania -- a leading nation in laser technology -- in bio and other cutting-edge industries, and Nauseda expressed his agreement, saying he hopes to increase cooperation with South Korea's leading semiconductor and display businesses.

Nauseda especially expressed interest in South Korean self-propelled artillery and other weapons systems.

Yoon formally informed Nauseda of Seoul's decision to open an embassy in Vilnius for the development of bilateral relations, and the Lithuanian president thanked him for the decision, saying he hopes the two countries will further increase mutually beneficial exchanges and cooperation through their permanent missions to the other country.

Lithuania opened its embassy in Seoul in 2021.

Yoon also met separately with the leaders of Estonia, Slovakia and Finland.

Yoon and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas agreed their two countries' cooperation in the digital and cyber security sectors has been meaningful, while noting the increasing cooperation in arms.

The two discussed recent issues on the Korean Peninsula and in Ukraine and committed to working closely together to quickly restore peace in Ukraine.

In his meeting with Slovak President Zuzana Caputova, Yoon asked for her attention and support for the smooth operation of South Korean businesses in her country.

Caputova said she hopes South Korean companies will invest more in Slovakia, especially in the electric vehicle battery sector, and promised to provide support for their stable operations.

Yoon and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto agreed to strengthen cooperation not only in science and technology and arms, but also in supporting startups, handling radioactive waste and jointly researching 6G networks.

Yoon congratulated Finland on its accession to NATO in April, and the two leaders reaffirmed the solidarity of the international community in assisting Ukraine while agreeing to cooperate closely to swiftly restore peace in the war-torn nation.

In all four meetings, Yoon requested support for South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in its southeastern city of Busan, according to his office. (Yonhap)