South Korea and Italy will enhance cooperation in areas like advanced technologies, artificial intelligence, hydrogen, and space, according to a deal between Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
Yoon said that the two countries hold universal values of freedom, human rights, and the rule of law at a joint press conference, leading to the continuous development of friendly cooperative relationships between the two countries.
South Korea-Italy Signs MOU
President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, speaks at a joint press briefing alongside Italian President Sergio Mattarella after their bilateral summit at the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul Wednesday.
Mattarella and his daughter Laura Mattarella were welcomed to Korea by Yoon and First Lady Kim Keon Hee during a welcome ceremony at the Yongsan presidential office.
"President Mattarella and I confirmed that the security of the Indo-Pacific region and Europe are inseparable, and as a part of such solidarity, we decided to further strengthen mutual cooperation," Yoon said.
Yoon pointed out that South Korea and Italy have excellent manufacturing capabilities and cutting-edge technology, which creates a great chance for growth in trade and investment between the two countries.
Both Yoon and Mattarella met for bilateral talks and participated in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony, which focused on industrial cooperation between Korea and Italy, which Yoon said will serve as a foundation for promoting the next generation of industrial cooperation, Reuters reports.
The discussion between the two sides during the joint press briefing revolved around future-oriented cooperation, covering economic, space, science, and technology cooperation, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
The visit comes ahead of the 140th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Korea and Italy next year. For Yoon, it is meaningful that this is the beginning of a new journey in the relationship between our two countries.
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South Korea and Italy's Relationship
In 2018, a strategic partnership was established between the two countries. According to KoreanJoongAng, South Korea's presidential office, the two countries conducted $13.5 billion in trade last year, the highest ever, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, with one million Korean tourists visiting Italy in 2019.
The Korean Institute for Basic Science and the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics have established an MOU to expand their research on basic science.
"Our two countries have been closely cooperating not only economically but also on the international stage, including at the G7 and G20," Yoon said at the beginning of the summit.
"In particular, Italy has consistently supported South Korea's efforts regarding the North Korean issue," the South Korean leader added.
Yoon also recognized Italy as "a grateful ally that treated 230,000 military and civilian patients as a medical support country" during the 1950-53 Korean War. Some 128 Italian doctors, nurses, and officers served in Red Cross Field Hospital No. 68 during the war.
Meanwhile, Mattarella stated that Italy and South Korea are making a consistent effort to work together, in areas such as democracy and the free market economy. The need for bilateral cooperation not only at the economic level but also in various fields to promote these important values and at the cultural level.
Mattarella hoped that the friendship between South Korea and Italy would become stronger during the visit, and he offered a formal invitation for Yoon to visit his country.
Mattarella began his three-day state visit to South Korea on Tuesday afternoon when she arrived at the Seoul Air Base and was welcomed by an honor guard.
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