On the 19th, President Lee Jae-myung met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and expressed his commitment to further strengthen the cooperation that has been continuously pursued at the bilateral and multilateral levels, in order to actively contribute to maintaining global peace and security and to respond to global challenges.

The two leaders agreed to expand cooperation in five areas: △bilateral relations △economy △science △culture △international cooperation.

First, regarding bilateral relations, they shared their intention to further enhance the strategic dialogue between Korea and Italy, based on shared values and principles, as a key platform for exchanging views and creating synergies on major regional and global issues.

To this end, they agreed to convene the next strategic dialogue at an early date and to prepare an action plan for 2026–2030 to systematically identify the main objectives of Korea–Italy cooperation. They also reaffirmed their commitment to a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific and shared a common view that they would work closely together to promote stability in the region.

Prime Minister Meloni expressed her hope that President Lee, who has accepted the invitation of Italian President Sergio Mattarella, will pay a state visit to Italy within this year.

In the field of economy, trade and investment, the two leaders recognized the challenges facing today’s economy and the importance of advanced manufacturing and high technologies, and reaffirmed their willingness to further strengthen the bilateral partnership in these areas.

For this purpose, they reviewed the outcomes of the Korea–Italy Business Forum held jointly in Seoul on 5 September last year, which focused on four key sectors: advanced industries (such as AI and industrial automation), energy transition and circular economy, infrastructure and transport (including aerospace and automobiles), and the bioindustry.

Building on the successful results of this forum, the two leaders stated that they would make use of the strengths and complementarities of their economies to further strengthen and expand bilateral cooperation, and to promote trade and investment in both countries and in third-country markets.

They also emphasized the importance of strengthening industrial cooperation in areas such as AI, aerospace, semiconductors and critical raw materials, and fostering partnerships between public institutions and private companies. They reaffirmed their intention to enhance cooperation based on the memorandum of understanding on industrial cooperation signed on 9 November 2023 between Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Italy’s Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy.

In addition, they agreed to continuously expand private-sector cooperation in the semiconductor field through the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding on semiconductor cooperation. The two leaders decided to strengthen joint efforts to develop flexible and reliable supply chains for critical minerals through the framework of these MOUs and multilateral initiatives such as the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), currently chaired by Korea.

In the fields of science, technology and higher education, the two leaders, seeking to jointly contribute to the development of research and innovation in both countries, expressed their intention to further promote joint research projects, academic and researcher exchanges, and cooperation between scientific institutions, in accordance with the Korea–Italy Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement signed in Rome on 16 February 2007.


The two leaders highly evaluated the successful launch of eight joint research projects in future-oriented fields such as physics and quantum science, advanced materials and nanotechnology, environmental science and energy transition, artificial intelligence applied to cultural heritage, advanced biotechnology, and aerospace.

They also agreed that such research cooperation will serve as a solid foundation for strengthening the future scientific capabilities of both countries and shared the view that there is a need to further expand bilateral cooperation in these areas.

In particular, they expressed their intention to promote cooperation between universities and higher education institutions of the two countries through specific agreements and joint programs aimed at enhancing exchanges by facilitating participation of students, professors, researchers and experts in academic conferences, research visits, meetings, symposiums and seminars.

Regarding culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges, they positively assessed that, taking the Korea–Italy Years of Mutual Cultural Exchanges 2024–2025 as an opportunity, people-to-people exchanges contributing to cooperation between cultural institutions and festivals are increasing actively.

The two leaders stressed the importance of deepening cultural cooperation as an important means of enhancing mutual understanding between the two countries, promoting new partnerships in the fields of film, museums, performing arts, architecture and tourism, and strengthening cooperation on cultural heritage protection within bilateral and UNESCO frameworks. They also welcomed the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation in the fields of cultural heritage and landscapes, and shared a common view that they would deepen cooperation between the audiovisual industries of the two countries.

They further agreed to promote cooperation in sports by making use of major international events such as the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milan–Cortina d’Ampezzo. They also expressed the expectation that, through the conclusion of an MOU in the field of civil protection, cooperation to protect the lives and safety of the nationals of both countries in various disaster situations will be expanded.

With respect to international cooperation, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the realization of lasting peace and stability. They also expressed their intention to work closely together in multilateral fora, including the G20, and to make joint efforts to strengthen the Korea–G7 partnership.

Popular News