Meeting with the President of the Republic of Korea

The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, received the President of the Republic of Korea, Lee Jae Myung, at Villa Doria Pamphilj in Rome today, as part of his State Visit to Italy.

The meeting followed President Meloni's official visit to Seoul on 19 January this year, and provided the opportunity to elevate Italy-South Korea relations to the level of a Special Strategic Partnership as well as to adopt a 2026-2030 Action Plan to intensify bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, scientific-technological, and cultural spheres, and in the security and defence sector.

President Meloni and President Lee also discussed deepening collaboration in the semiconductor industry and regarding industrial partnerships, in particular in high-tech sectors such as artificial intelligence, space, the automotive industry, and energy.

Lastly, the two leaders had an exchange of views on the main international issues, reaffirming their common commitment to the stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific and their shared intention to contribute to ongoing efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Following the meeting, a signing ceremony was held for four agreements: in the area of development cooperation; in the field of science, advanced technologies, and information and communication technologies; on cooperation for the social and solidarity economy; and in the sector of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.