Johannesburg, Nov 23 South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed his hope to elevate the bilateral relationship with France to a "strategic partnership" and deepen cooperation in culture, security, technologies and other fields, as he held a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron in South Africa on Saturday.
Their meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg followed their encounter during the Group of Seven summit in Canada in June, as the two nations prepare to celebrate the 140th anniversary next year of the establishment of their diplomatic relations, Yonhap news agency reported.
"I hope to upgrade the two countries' bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership and bolster cooperation across various fields, including culture, the economy, security and cutting-edge technologies," he said.
Lee expressed his appreciation for France's deployment of troops to support South Korea when North Korea invaded the South during the 1950-53 Korean War while noting that the French Revolution had a sizable effect on the development of South Korea's democracy.
Macron said that France hopes to expand cooperation in a wide range of areas, including security and emerging technologies, such as quantum, artificial intelligence (AI), space, and nuclear and renewable energy.
He also thanked South Korea for its "clear commitment" regarding issues related to Ukraine and other matters that are important to France.
Lee expressed South Korea's desire to pursue "mutually complementary" cooperation with France in the defense industry and expand collaboration in AI, the space industry and culture, the presidential office said in a release.
Lee also voiced hope for closer cooperation with the European country as he and Macron discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula and regional issues.
During the talks, Lee invited Macron to visit South Korea next year to mark the 140th anniversary of the bilateral relationship. In turn, Macron said that it would be "a great opportunity to prepare the visit," adding he was "excited" about traveling to Korea.
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