SEUL (SOUTH KOREA) (ITALPRESS) – The President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae Myung and the President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic Giorgia Meloni met in Seoul and expressed their desire to further strengthen the ongoing collaboration, both at bilateral and multilateral levels, in order to contribute proactively to the maintenance of international peace and security and to face global challenges. In this context – we read in the joint note – the two leaders expressed their willingness to cooperate in the following areas.
1. Bilateral relations On the basis of their shared values and principles, the Republic of Korea and Italy have shared the will to further strengthen their Strategic Dialogue as the main platform for the exchange of views and the search for synergies on the main regional and global developments. To this end, they decided to convene the next session of the Strategic Dialogue as soon as possible and prepare a new Bilateral Action Plan for the years 2026-2030 to identify the primary objectives of bilateral cooperation between the Republic of Korea and Italy. The two leaders shared the common vision of working closely to promote stability in the region.
2 The President of the Meloni Council renewed the expectation that President Lee can accept the invitation of President Sergio Mattarella to make a state visit in Italy during the current year. 2. Economics, Commerce and Investment Knowing the challenges facing today’s economy and the importance of advanced production and cutting-edge technologies, the two Leaders reaffirmed their willingness to further strengthen their partnership in these areas. To this end, they praised the results of the Economic Forum ROK-Italia, jointly organized in Seoul on 5 September 2025 from the two sides, focusing on four key sectors: advanced industries (including artificial intelligence and industrial automation), energy transition and circular economy, infrastructure and transport (including aerospace and automotive) and bioindustry. Based on the positive results of the ROK-Italy Economic Forum, the two Leaders expressed their intention to further strengthen and expand bilateral cooperation and promote trade and investment in both countries and third markets, exploiting the strengths and complementarities between the two economies.
The two leaders stressed the importance of strengthening industrial cooperation in key areas such as artificial intelligence, aerospace, semiconductors and critical raw materials, as well as promoting partnerships between public institutions and private companies. They also stressed their desire to strengthen cooperation on the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding on industrial cooperation between the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea and the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, signed on 9 November 2023. They shared the common vision of continuing to expand private sector cooperation in the semiconductor sector through the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the semiconductor sector. The two leaders agreed on the intensification of joint efforts to develop resilient and reliable critical mineral supply chains, both within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding and through multilateral initiatives, such as Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), currently chaired by the Republic of Korea.
Science, Technology and Higher Education With the aspiration to contribute together with the progress of research and innovation and the progress of the two Nations, the two Leaders expressed their intention to further promote joint research projects, academic exchanges and researchers and cooperation between their scientific institutions, in line with the Scientific and Technological Cooperation Agreement between the Republic of Korea and Italy signed in Rome on 16 February 2007.
The two Leaders have greatly appreciated the success of the launch of eight joint research projects in future-oriented areas of cooperation, including physics and quantum science, advanced materials and nanotechnology, environmental sciences and energy transition, artificial intelligence applied to cultural heritage, advanced biotechnology and aerospace industry. Moreover, confiding that this research collaboration is a solid basis for increasing the future scientific capabilities of both nations, they stressed – the joint note continues – the need to further expand bilateral cooperation in these areas. The two leaders expressed their desire to promote collaboration between their universities and higher education institutions through specific agreements and 4 joint programmes aimed at promoting, in particular, the mobility of students, professors, researchers and experts participating in conferences, study visits, conferences, symposia and seminars.
Culture, tourism and interpersonal exchanges. On the basis of the momentum generated by the Year of Cultural Exchanges between the Republic of Korea and Italy 2024-2025, the two leaders expressed a positive assessment of the growing dynamism of interpersonal exchanges, which contribute to strengthening mutual cooperation between cultural institutions and festivals of the two countries. In light of this, they stressed the importance of deepening cultural cooperation, promoting new partnerships in the fields of cinema, museums, performing arts, architecture and tourism, and strengthening cooperation in the protection of cultural heritage, both bilaterally and within UNESCO, as a valuable tool to improve mutual understanding between the two countries. They welcomed the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding as a step forward towards further strengthening of cooperation in the fields of cultural heritage and landscape. The two leaders shared a common view on strengthening cooperation between the audiovisual industries of the two nations, also through the promotion of audiovisual co-production.
The two leaders shared the common vision of promoting cooperation in the sports field, leveraging important international events, including the Olympic and Winter Paralympic Games of 2026 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The two leaders expressed the expectation that the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Civil Protection leads to an extension 5 of the shared efforts to protect the lives and security of the populations of the two nations in various situations of calamity. 5. International cooperation. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to complete denuclearization and lasting peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula. The two leaders – concludes the note – expressed their willingness to cooperate closely in multilateral forums including the G20 and to cooperate to strengthen the ROK-G7 partnership.
– Photo of repertoire IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
