President Lee Jae Myung on June 4 speaks at a meeting with his senior secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul. (Cheong Wa Dae)

By Kim Hyelin

President Lee Jae Myung from June 9 will embark on a 10-day European tour spanning Belgium, Italy and Vatican City in that order before attending the G7 meeting of the world's top seven economies in the resort town of Evian-les-Bains in France.

National Security Office Director Wi Sung-lac on June 5 said this in announcing the president's itinerary for summit diplomacy in a briefing at the media center Chunchugwan in Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul.

President Lee on the evening of June 9 will arrive in Brussels, where he will start his schedule with a dinner for Korean expats in Belgium. The following morning, he will hold a summit with Prime Minister Bart De Wever and meet King Phillippe in the afternoon. 

Director Wi said the visit is expected to help expand cooperation with small and medium enterprises to provide Korean companies with a stable gateway to enter the European market.

In the afternoon, President Lee will hold talks with European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. 

Director Wi called the meetings "a platform to fully launch Korea's diplomacy" with the European Union (EU), the world's largest trading bloc with 27 member states and a population of approximately 450 million. He called the EU "a key partner essential for Korea's bid to take a leap forward toward becoming a diplomatic power within the G7."

Talks are expected to cover regional issues including developments on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East and measures to ensure energy security and supply chain stability.

At the invitation of Italian President Sergio Mattarella, President Lee will make a state visit to Italy from June 11-13. President Lee will start on June 11 with a summit with President Mattarella and meet Italy's speakers of the senate and chamber of deputies, lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and attend a state banquet. 

The following day, President Lee will attend a bilateral summit with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and participate in the Korea-Italy Business Roundtable, where he will support corporate exchanges. On his last day in Italy, he will travel to Florence under Italian protocol for a state visit to discuss boosting cultural cooperation.

In Vatican City from June 14-15, the president on the first day will attend a special Mass for peace and solidarity at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Piazza San Paolo, Rome. The following day, he will attend separate meetings with Pope Leo XIV and Vatican Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. 

Director Wi said the visit "will provide an opportunity to reaffirm the Vatican's continued support and interest in peace on the Korean Peninsula."

President Lee will conclude his European tour by attending the G7 summit in the resort town of Evian-les-Bains, France, from June 16-17. Key agenda items include reducing global economic imbalances and discussing issues related to artificial intelligence and digital technologies. 

"This marks Korea's second consecutive year attending the G7 summit," Director Wi said. "As the G20 chair in 2028, we will keep leading global cooperation in major issues while securing momentum for pragmatic diplomacy focused on national interests."

kimhyelin211@korea.kr