President Lee Jae Myung called for a higher level of defense partnership between Korea and NATO, Tuesday, with cooperation expanding beyond arms sales to the joint research, production and operation of weapons systems. In a keynote speech at the NATO Defense Industry Forum on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Lee underscored Korea as a trusted partner, saying it can ensure uninterrupted supplies under any circumstances while safeguarding critical technologies. "I propose that we elevate our current defense cooperation, focused mainly on weapons system transactions, to a 'Korea-NATO Defense Industry Partnership 2.0,'" Lee said. He suggested expanding joint research on advanced technologies, expressing hope that Korea and NATO would launch more collaborative research initiatives similar to their existing cooperation programs on ammunition and space. Lee proposed strengthening defense cooperation in much the same way members of the International Energy Agency jointly manage strategic oil reserves to respond to energy crises. Arguing that defense cooperation has become increasingly