By Kim Hyelin
Photos = Office of the President

President Yoon Suk Yeol on May 17 will host a summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the presidential office in Seoul.

The prime minister was invited to visit Korea by President Yoon during the latter's trip to Canada in September last year, presidential spokesperson Lee Do Woon said in a news release.

To mark the 60th anniversary of bilateral ties, the Canadian leader's trip will see discussion of stronger cooperation in supply chains and expansion of science and technology and interpersonal exchanges. His visit is the first of its kind in nine years.

Both leaders on May 17 will hold small-scale and bilateral summits and sign a memorandum of understanding, after which they will attend a joint news conference. An official dinner will follow.

Their summit agenda includes the setup of an international order based on norms including North Korea's human rights issues, launch of "2+2" high-level talks on economic security, stronger cooperation in critical minerals, and expansion of science and technology and interpersonal exchanges. 

Based on these topics, both leaders will release a joint statement titled "Stronger Together for the Next 60 Years."

This will be the third summit between the two sides since President Yoon assumed office. The first was in June last year on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Madrid, Spain, and the second last September when President Yoon visited the Canadian capital of Ottawa.

Arriving in Korea on May 16, Prime Minister Trudeau on the next day will visit the National Assembly, hold talks with National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and leaders of the ruling and opposition parties, and give a speech at a regular parliamentary session. This will mark the first time in six years for a foreign leader to speak to the legislature since then U.S. President Donald Trump in November 2017. 

Meanwhile, President Yoon on May 16 hosted talks with Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska, wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at the presidential office.

In his meeting with her, who visited Korea as a special presidential envoy, President Yoon conveyed the support and solidarity of the Korean government and people with Ukraine and condolences to the families of victims and the Ukrainian people.

On the same day, he hosted a dinner for former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was visiting Korea to attend the 14th Asian Leadership Conference, at the presidential residence in Seoul's Hannam-dong neighborhood. There, the president asked him to pay extra attention to and support the development of bilateral relations, spokesperson Lee said in a news release.

kimhyelin211@korea.kr