South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to pursue joint nuclear power projects abroad as part of broader bilateral cooperation on nuclear energy, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday.

The agreement was reached during a high-level consultation on nuclear cooperation between the two countries, held Tuesday in Abu Dhabi and led by South Korea's Second Vice Foreign Minister Kang In-sun and UAE Energy Minister Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei.

The consultation was launched in 2018 to discuss bilateral cooperation on nuclear energy.

During the latest meeting, the two sides agreed to make a joint entry into overseas nuclear reactor markets and further expand bilateral cooperation on nuclear energy, including joint scientific research.

They also agreed to expand their nuclear energy cooperation, currently centered on reactor construction and operation, to include nuclear fuel supply chains and reactor maintenance, according to the ministry.

In her opening remarks, Kang referred to the launch of the fourth commercial reactor at the South Korean-built Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE last year, expressing hope the meeting would pave the way for "post Barakah" nuclear cooperation.

The UAE minister called for broadening the scope of bilateral nuclear energy cooperation to jointly address rising demand for clean energy.

The next session of the consultation will take place in South Korea next year.

In a separate one-on-one meeting, the two officials also agreed to expand bilateral cooperation on the joint development of crude oil stockpiles and future energy sources, such as hydrogen and solar energy.