First Summit with Italian Prime Minister Held in New York on the Sidelines of the UN General Assembly
On September 24 (local time), President Lee Jaemyung held his first bilateral summit with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during the United Nations (UN) General Assembly High-Level Session in New York. The two leaders agreed to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and defense.
Prime Minister Meloni noted that the two countries have been developing a balanced cooperative relationship in various fields, including trade and investment. She highlighted the high potential for expanding economic cooperation between Korea and Italy, as demonstrated by the Korea-Italy Business Forum held in early September in Seoul, which saw the participation of numerous companies from both nations and was a great success.
In response, President Lee stated, "The two countries share many similarities, including geographical location and national character." He added, "Based on our strategic partnership, let us further deepen and develop mutually beneficial cooperation between our governments and businesses in areas such as AI and defense."
Prime Minister Meloni praised Korea's significant economic and cultural potential and expressed her hope to visit Korea at the earliest opportunity to materialize practical cooperation. She also invited President Lee to visit Italy at a convenient time. President Lee replied, "Let us work to ensure that the mutual exchanges between our leaders yield meaningful results by conducting sufficient consultations in each area of cooperation to expand practical collaboration."
The two leaders noted that both countries have played positive roles and made contributions on the international stage, maintaining similar positions on various global issues to turn challenges into opportunities amid complex global crises. They agreed to further deepen this cooperation going forward. Additionally, the leaders shared the view that the bilateral relationship should be elevated in line with changes in the international environment, and agreed to realize this through reciprocal visits.
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