First lady Kim Hae Kyung (from left), President Lee Jae Myung, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and first lady Emine Erdogan on July 7 pose for a group photo at a welcome reception for this year's NATO Summit at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkiye. (Cheong Wa Dae)
By Hong Angie
President Lee Jae Myung will host bilateral talks this week in Seoul with Turkiye and Timor-Leste to raise cooperation in future strategic industries and broaden Seoul's diplomatic outreach.
In a written briefing, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung on Nov. 1 said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will come on a state visit from Nov. 2-4 and Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta will make a trip from Nov. 5-7.
The bilateral summit with Turkiye on Nov. 3 will follow the official welcome ceremony for President Erdogan. Both leaders will also attend a signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and a state dinner.
The two sides will cover expansion of cooperation in trade and investment, nuclear energy, defense, and future-oriented sectors like biotechnology, energy, and science and technology. Discussing major international issues affecting regions like the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East is also on their agenda.
In his first visit to Korea since 2018, President Erdogan is expected to help strengthen the bilateral "strategic partnership" ahead of the 70th anniversary of two-way relations next year.
On Nov. 6, President Lee will host talks with President Ramos-Horta, the 1996 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Both will later attend an MOU signing ceremony, official luncheon and joint news conference.
The visit is the first of its kind by a Timor-Leste leader since both sides formed bilateral relations in 2002. The two presidents will hold in-depth discussions on expanding practical cooperation in a range of areas like diplomacy and security, intellectual property, climate change, education and people-to-people exchanges.
Korea has contributed to peacebuilding and national reconstruction in the island nation, including through the deployment of the Sangnoksu Unit for United Nations peacekeeping operations. The strategic importance of bilateral cooperation has grown since Timor-Leste joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as its 11th member state.
Cheong Wa Dae said, "This series of summits is a major opportunity to raise practical cooperation based on the trust built over many years with traditional allies, as well as broaden our diplomatic reach as a globally responsible nation."
shong9412@korea.kr
