President Lee Jae Myung’s First Meeting at NATO Summit
President Lee Jae Myung initiated his first official schedule during a four-night, five-day overseas trip on the 7th (local time) with a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. The president arrived in Ankara in the afternoon of the same day and immediately met with Secretary-General Rutte. This was the first time President Lee has attended a NATO summit since taking office, and the meeting was arranged at the invitation of Rutte.
During the meeting, President Lee greeted Rutte by saying, “I’ve seen you many times over the phone, but this is the first time we’ve met in person.” In response, Rutte said, “You look just like the photos I’ve seen,” and they shook hands. Rutte expressed his pleasure at meeting Lee in person and thanked him for participating in the summit. He also appreciated Lee’s efforts to ensure that South Korea–NATO relations continue to develop strongly.
President Lee responded by expressing his gratitude and noting that it was a real pleasure to meet Rutte in person after speaking over the phone a few times. The two leaders had previously reached a consensus on South Korea–NATO cooperation through two phone calls in July last year and February of this year. This meeting is expected to focus on specific cooperation plans between the two parties.
Focus on Defense Cooperation
The key agenda of this NATO summit is the defense sector. NATO member states, which account for 55% of global defense spending, are significantly increasing their defense budgets amid security instability in the Middle East following the Russia–Ukraine war. Cheong Wa Dae anticipates that this meeting will serve as a new opportunity to expand K-defense exports.
A critical focus will be whether a cooperation system can be established to share “NATO standard information,” enabling domestic defense companies to more smoothly export weapons and defense materials to NATO member states. This initiative aims to strengthen the relationship between South Korea and NATO, particularly in the defense industry.
Additional Meetings and Events
After the meeting with Rutte, President Lee attended a small-scale summit with leaders from Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and other India-Pacific Partner Countries (IP4). This summit is the highest-level consultative body for cooperation between NATO and India-Pacific partners.
President Lee will also participate in the NATO Defense Industry Forum, an official event of the summit. He is scheduled to deliver a presentation on the topic of “South Korea and NATO’s Defense Industry Solidarity” and propose a plan to elevate the “Defense Industry Partnership 2.0.” He will then join a panel discussion.
Kang Yu-jung, Cheong Wa Dae Senior Spokesperson, stated, “South Korea will emphasize that it is a partner that has accumulated defense industry capabilities with NATO based on shared values. Beyond arms trade-based defense cooperation, we plan to propose a plan to elevate it to a ‘Defense Industry Partnership 2.0,’ where we jointly produce and share defense systems.”
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