President Lee Holds Luncheon with Italian Prime Minister Meloni
President Lee Greets in Italian with "Buongiorno"
"Consensus Reached on Cooperation in AI, Space, and Semiconductors"
President Lee Jae-myung and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are toasting at the official luncheon held at the Blue House on the 19th. Photo by Yonhap News
President Lee Jae-myung held a luncheon with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the 19th, stating, "We deeply agreed on the need to further expand the scale of cooperation between our two countries beyond 10 billion dollars." Prime Minister Meloni responded by mentioning technology, defense, and digital technology, saying, "Let us strengthen cooperation in strategic sectors."
On the afternoon of the 19th, President Lee hosted a luncheon with Prime Minister Meloni, who was on an official visit to Korea, in the Chungmu Room on the first floor of the Blue House. Greeting in Italian with "Buongiorno," President Lee said, "During today's talks, we agreed to further develop the cooperative relationship between our two countries in a strategic and future-oriented direction, based on our shared economic and cultural strengths."
He added, "We also deeply agreed on the need to further expand the trade volume between our two countries, which has surpassed 10 billion dollars, and on the fact that cooperation in cutting-edge industries such as artificial intelligence (AI), space, defense, and semiconductors can generate significant synergy between our nations."
President Lee Jae-myung is saluting the national flag during the official luncheon with Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy, held at the Blue House on the 19th. Photo by Yonhap News
President Lee also emphasized the importance of people-to-people exchanges. He stated, "Above all, the continuous exchange between the peoples of our two countries will be the most solid foundation for the friendship between Korea and Italy. The number of Koreans visiting Italy annually has reached 1 million, and with the Winter Olympics to be held next month, we expect even more of our citizens to visit Italy."
President Lee continued, "It is said that the number of Italian students studying in Korea has also doubled compared to five years ago. The exchange between our peoples, especially among students, is the greatest driving force for our friendly and cooperative relationship. The Prime Minister and I have agreed to pay even closer attention to ensuring that these exchanges become even more active in the future."
Regarding shared issues such as regional development, aging populations, demographic challenges, and cooperation among small and medium-sized enterprises, President Lee said, "We will share our know-how and experiences and work together to address the common social challenges faced by both countries. I am confident that as we join forces and pool our wisdom to respond to these shared issues, the lives of our peoples will improve."
President Lee Jae-myung is delivering a welcome speech at the official luncheon for Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy, held at the Blue House on the 19th. Photo by Yonhap News
Prime Minister Meloni said, "Korea and Italy are countries with a very strong bond, and I hope that this solid relationship will become even stronger." She added, "There is a Korean word, 'Jeong,' and I believe this word best expresses the relationship between Korea and Italy."
Prime Minister Meloni went on to say, "Italy looks at Korea's miracle with deep respect and admiration. In addition to the already robust trade between our countries, we hope to strengthen cooperation in more strategic areas, such as technology, defense, and digital technology."
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