By Lee Kap-soo 

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was in New Delhi, India, for the G20 Summit, held a summit with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Sept. 10.
 

During the meeting, the President requested Italy's cooperation in the bidding process for the 2030 Busan World Expo and exchanged views on ways to develop bilateral relations.

The two leaders agreed that there is great potential for expanding trade and investment given the complementary trade structure of the two countries, and agreed to build on the cooperation between the two countries in defense, semiconductor cooperation, and future industries such as aerospace. 

In particular, Prime Minister Meloni said that the Italian Defense Minister will attend the International Aerospace and Defense Industry Exhibition (ADEX) in Seoul in October to advance discussions on bilateral defense cooperation.

The President said he expects Italy to show leadership as the chair of next year's G7 Summit, adding that Korea will continue to participate in the G7 and strengthen cooperation with its members at a time when unity among similarly situated countries is crucial.

Noting that Italy, where the Korean Wave was first introduced about 20 years ago, is now becoming a stronghold of the Korean Wave in Europe, the President expressed his hope that cultural exchanges with Italy, a culturally advanced country with excellent tourism resources, will continue to expand and deepen the friendship between the two countries' peoples.

The two leaders agreed to take bilateral relations to the next level, including strengthening the "strategic partnership" between the two countries on the occasion of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year.