New delhi: President Lee Jae Myung has arrived in New Delhi on a three-day state visit for pivotal summit talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The discussions aim to enhance economic ties and expand strategic cooperation between South Korea and India. On his first day, President Lee plans to meet with members of the Korean community in India. The summit talks with Modi are scheduled for Monday, marking the third in-person meeting between the two leaders following their previous talks at the G7 and G20 summits last year.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the summit is expected to focus on expanding economic cooperation in areas such as shipbuilding, maritime industries, artificial intelligence, and defense. Additionally, the leaders will coordinate responses to energy supply chain uncertainties linked to the Middle East situation, as stated by National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac. President Lee also plans to attend a business forum aimed at exploring new opportunities and supporting the operations of Korean companies in India, which is a key production hub and significant consumer market for Korean electronics and automakers.
Following his visit to India, Lee is scheduled to travel to Hanoi, Vietnam, on Tuesday for a state visit. He will hold talks on Wednesday with To Lam, Vietnam's new president and general secretary of the Communist Party. The discussions are expected to focus on cooperation regarding energy supply chains and critical minerals. Lee's visit will make him the first foreign leader to visit Vietnam since To Lam's election as state president earlier this month, a move that consolidates To Lam's authority by holding the country's two most powerful positions.
On the subsequent day, Lee is set to meet Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man. He will also attend a business forum to explore ways to bolster economic cooperation between South Korea and Vietnam. Lee's trip is seen as an effort to strengthen strategic cooperation with fast-growing economies and broaden South Korea's diplomatic reach, as highlighted by Wi Sung-lac.