President Lee Jae Myung (right) and U.S. President Donald Trump on July 7 talk at a welcoming dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkiye (Turkey).

By Hong Angie
Photos = Cheong Wa Dae

President Lee Jae Myung has concluded his two-day visit to Turkiye (Turkey), where he delivered a keynote speech at the NATO Defense Industry Forum and held bilateral talks with the leaders of the U.S., Norway, Ukraine and Romania on diplomatic relations, defense industry cooperation and geopolitics.

The highlight of this visit was his talks on July 7 with U.S. President Donald Trump, three weeks after they spoke at the G7 summit of the world's major industrial powers last month, at a welcoming dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Presidents Lee and Trump agreed to continue working-level dialogue on plans for Washington's construction of military vessels that the latter requested at the G7 summit.

President Lee played up the advanced shipbuilding know-how of Korean companies and expressed his willingness to cooperate closely. Both leaders also agreed to play a round of golf in the U.S. as pledged previously.

President Lee Jae Myung (right) and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store on July 8 shake hands before their summit at a hotel in Ankara, Turkiye (Turkey).

On July 8, during talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, President Lee discussed raising practical cooperation in renewable energy, shipbuilding and maritime industries, and the defense industry. They agreed to boost ties in advanced defense technology, building on Norway's confidence in Korean weapons systems like the K9 self-propelled howitzer and multiple rocket artillery system Chunmoo.

The president created a warm atmosphere in the summit by congratulating Norway for making the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup soccer finals. He also requested government-level support for a Korean fisheries delegation visiting the Scandinavian country to secure additional imports of Norwegian mackerel.

President Lee Jae Myung (right) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on July 8 shake hands before their summit at a hotel in Ankara, Turkiye (Turkey).

President Lee also held his first dialogue with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, covering in depth postwar reconstruction of Ukraine and security issues.

President Lee explained his government's pledge of USD 100 million in comprehensive assistance for Ukraine and reaffirmed a commitment to continued participation in Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction. President Zelenskyy thanked him and said he hoped for the participation of Korean companies.

The two leaders also achieved a standard agreement to resolve the sensitive issue of North Korean prisoners of war in Ukraine. They agreed to tackle the problem in a way consistent with international law and humanitarian principles while respecting the free will of the soldiers.

President Lee Jae Myung (left) and Romanian President Nicusor Dan on July 8 hold talks at the NATO Summit venue in Ankara, Turkiye (Turkey).

Finally, President Lee and Romanian President Nicusor Dan in their summit reviewed bilateral strategic cooperation in key sectors including the defense industry and nuclear energy.

On the construction of a plant in Romania to build the K9 howitzer that broke ground in February, President Lee said he hoped for Korean companies to form a relationship of deeper trust with Romania beyond simple transactions to cover joint technological development, co-production and expansion into third markets.

In response, President Dan praised Korean defense contractors for their localization strategies and technical prowess and pledged to broaden bilateral cooperation in the sector.

After completing a series of high-profile bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the NATO summit, President Lee is slated to travel to Mongolia to continue his diplomatic efforts aimed at expanding Korea's engagement across Asia.

He arrived in Mongolia on July 9 for a state visit to diversify Korea's diplomacy in East Asia.

shong9412@korea.kr