Seoul, Warsaw aim for follow-up deals for supply of S. Korean arms as early as Sept.

SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- The defense chiefs of South Korea and Poland agreed Thursday to make efforts for deals to be signed as early as September for the supply of key South Korean weapons systems to Warsaw as initially agreed in 2022, Seoul's defense ministry said.
Poland signed "framework" deals with South Korean defense companies that year to purchase 1,000 K2 tanks, 672 K9 howitzers, 48 FA-50 jets and 288 Chunmoo multiple rocket launch systems.

While Warsaw signed follow-up "executive" contracts for a partial number of K2s, K9s and Chunmoos, it has yet to sign next-phase deals for the remaining units amid financing issues.

Defense Minister Shin Won-sik and his Polish counterpart, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, agreed to accelerate negotiations to sign the second executive contracts as early as September at a defense exhibition in Poland during their talks in Warsaw, according to the ministry.

"(They) agreed to complete the signing of the contracts within the year at the latest," it said.

The two sides also agreed for close cooperation on weapons systems that Poland holds interest in other than ongoing projects, Shin said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Polish officials expressed interest in South Korea's border defense system amid instability at its border with Belarus due to increased migrants, he said, adding that Seoul would share details about the system with Warsaw.

"South Korea and Poland agreed to develop cooperation beyond the arms industry to defense cooperation and security cooperation," Shin said. "The two countries agreed to fulfill our role as bulwarks of defending peace and freedom in Asia and Europe based on powerful strength."

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