Ankara: President Lee Jae Myung held a summit with Romanian President Nicusor Dan on Wednesday and said Seoul seeks to expand bilateral cooperation beyond the defense industry. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Ankara, where Lee attended as the leader of one of the alliance's partner countries.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee described Romania as "an important partner of cooperation" for South Korea, stating that the two countries have seen growing cooperation in trade and the defense industry. Lee emphasized that significant collaboration is occurring within the defense sector, including joint development and production, with potential expansion into third-country markets.

Lee expressed Seoul's interest in extending such cooperation into other sectors, notably nuclear power, and extended an invitation to Dan for a visit to South Korea. Dan acknowledged a Romanian defense project involving South Korea's Hanwha Group and mentioned nuclear power plant refurbishment projects in Romania involving South Korean companies. He noted the potential for new economic cooperation opportunities and invited Lee to visit Romania.