President Lee Jae Myung, second from right, and first lady Kim Hye-kyung, right, proceed on a red carpet after arriving at Palam Air Force Station in New Delhi and taking off Air Force One on their state visit to India, Sunday (local time). Yonhap
NEW DELHI — President Lee Jae Myung arrived in New Delhi on Sunday to begin a three-day state visit for summit talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aimed at deepening economic ties and expanding strategic cooperation.
Lee is scheduled to meet with members of the Korean community in India on the first day and hold summit talks with Modi on Monday, marking their third in-person meeting following previous talks on the sidelines of the G7 and G20 summits last year.
The summit is expected to focus on expanding economic cooperation in areas such as shipbuilding, maritime industries, artificial intelligence and defense, as well as coordinating responses to energy supply chain uncertainties linked to the Middle East situation, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Thursday.
He also plans to attend a business forum to explore new opportunities and support the operations of Korean companies in India, a key production hub and major consumer market for Korean electronics and automakers.
Lee is scheduled to head to Hanoi, Vietnam, on Tuesday for a state visit and hold talks on Wednesday with To Lam, Vietnam's president and general secretary of the Communist Party, with cooperation on energy supply chains and critical minerals expected to be high on the agenda.
The visit will make Lee the first foreign leader to travel to Vietnam since To Lam was elected state president earlier this month, consolidating his authority by holding the country's two most powerful positions.
The following day, Lee is set to meet Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, the No. 2 official, and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, the No. 3 official, and attend a business forum to explore ways to bolster economic cooperation between the two countries.
In light of the trip, Lee will seek to strengthen strategic cooperation with fast-growing economies and broaden South Korea's diplomatic reach, according to Wi.
Source: Korea Times News
