Meeting with NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg
Attended Dinner Hosted by King Felipe VI of Spain
[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] President Yoon Suk-yeol will begin his full-scale diplomatic schedule on the second day of his visit to Madrid, Spain, on the 28th (local time), including a Korea-Australia summit.
President Yoon arrived in Madrid the night before to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit held on the 29th and 30th.
The first official schedule was set as a summit with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Norman Albanese. Like Korea, Australia is one of the four countries invited for the first time as NATO Asia-Pacific partner countries.
The summit with Finnish President Sauli Niinist?, originally scheduled as the first event, was canceled for the time being. A presidential office official explained to reporters at the press center in Madrid that the reason for the cancellation of the Korea-Finland summit was that "(both sides') schedules did not align in various complicated ways."
President Yoon will then meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. They are expected to discuss cooperation in 'comprehensive security' areas such as economy, technology, and human rights with NATO member countries.
Since NATO plans to adopt a new strategic concept at this meeting addressing not only the Ukraine war but also countermeasures against China's expanding influence, Secretary General Stoltenberg may mention these plans to President Yoon.
President Yoon and First Lady Kim Keon-hee are also scheduled to attend a gala dinner hosted by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain that evening.
During this visit, President Yoon will carry out a total of 14 diplomatic schedules, including nine bilateral meetings, ▲ NATO allied and partner country summits ▲ meeting with the King of Spain ▲ Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral summit ▲ luncheon meeting with Spanish business leaders.
He will hold summits with the Netherlands, Poland, and Denmark on the 29th, and with the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom on the 30th. Informal meetings are planned with the President of the European Union (EU) Commission, as well as the leaders of Canada and Romania.
The Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral summit will be held at 2:30 p.m. on the 29th. This is the first Korea-U.S.-Japan summit in four years and nine months since the initial summit held during the early Moon Jae-in administration in September 2017 at the United Nations General Assembly.
First Lady Kim will also make her 'multilateral diplomatic debut' through this schedule. Drawing on her experience operating Kobana Contents and hosting performances and art exhibitions, she plans to engage in related activities. According to the presidential office, First Lady Kim will participate in at least five public events, including attending the session for spouses of attending country leaders in Madrid, Spain.
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