By Lee Jon-young

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is in New York for the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, held a summit meeting with Montenegrin President Jakov Milatiović on the afternoon of September 18, the first since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 2006.
 

During the meeting, President Yoon requested Montenegro's support for the 2030 Busan World Expo and exchanged views on ways to develop bilateral relations.

Sharing the values of freedom, human rights, and the rule of law, President Yoon praised the steady development of the bilateral cooperation in various fields and hoped that the meeting would take the bilateral relationship to the next level. 

Yoon emphasized that economic exchanges between the two countries are growing rapidly, with bilateral trade reaching an all-time high last year and the import of copper ore from Montenegro increasing ten-fold year-on-year.

Milatiovic said that Montenegro is particularly interested in cooperation in the energy sector and hopes to explore cooperation with leading Korean companies in diversifying energy sources. 

President Yoon expressed his appreciation for the various development cooperation projects that have been carried out with Montenegro, contributing to the country's development, including its infrastructure. 

President Milatiovic said that South Korea's support for IT and cybersecurity is helping Montenegro to develop technology and build infrastructure.

President Milatiovic also welcomed and supported the global pivotal role of the Yoon government, and said that Korea is the most important strategic country for Montenegro in the East Asia region. In this regard, the two countries should move forward with the Economic Cooperation Agreement as well as the Strategic Cooperation Document being prepared.

The two leaders used the meeting as an opportunity to further enhance bilateral exchanges and continue to identify cooperative projects that will benefit both economies.