SEOUL, April 15 (Yonhap) — The leaders of South Korea and Portugal have exchanged congratulatory letters on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of forging diplomatic relations, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday.

In a letter to Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President Moon Jae-in of South Korea noted that the two sides have developed close cooperation in various sectors since 1961.

He expressed hope that the two will continue to work together for the strengthening of not just bilateral ties but also South Korea-European Union (EU) relations, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok,

Portugal is holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of this year.

The Portuguese president agreed to cooperate closely to keep cementing the bilateral ties going forward, Kang added.