Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are set to engage in summit talks on Monday, with a focus on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment, and cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Prime Minister Meloni arrived in South Korea on Saturday as part of a three-day official visit, which forms a segment of her Asia trip that also includes Japan and Oman. The discussions between the two leaders are anticipated to cover an array of subjects, including defense and semiconductors, reflecting a broad scope of bilateral interests.

The upcoming talks represent the second summit meeting between Lee and Meloni, following their initial encounter on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York in September of the previous year. Remarkably, this marks the first visit by an Italian leader to Seoul for bilateral summit discussions in 19 years, and positions Meloni as the first European leader to visit South Korea since President Lee assumed office in June of last year.

Italy holds the position of South Korea's fourth-largest trading partner within the European Union, with approximately 1 million South Koreans visiting Italy each year, as noted by Cheong Wa Dae. The summit underscores the significance of the relationship between the two nations and the potential for enhanced collaboration in key economic and technological sectors.