Lee meets Italian, Polish leaders for defense and economic cooperation at UN

President Lee Jae Myung and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni shake hands at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations in New York, Wednesday, ahead of their summit meeting. Yonhap

NEW YORK — President Lee Jae Myung and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni agreed Wednesday (local time) to deepen cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) and the defense industry during their first bilateral meeting, held in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

During the meeting, Lee emphasized the countries’ similarities in geography and character, proposing that public and private sectors on both sides deepen collaboration in fields like AI and defense, his office said.

Meloni said Korea and Italy had built a balanced partnership across a wide range of sectors from trade to investments, and pointed to the strong potential for further economic ties, citing the Korea-Italy Business Forum in Seoul earlier this month, which drew robust corporate participation.

The Italian prime minister also praised Korea’s economic and cultural potential, expressing her hope to visit Seoul soon. She also invited Lee to visit Italy at a convenient time. In response, the president stressed the importance of thorough consultations across sectors to ensure that future summits deliver meaningful results.

Both leaders also underscored their shared positions on major global issues amid ongoing crises, pledging to expand opportunities for joint contributions on the international stage. They agreed to upgrade bilateral relations in line with changing global dynamics and to pursue this through reciprocal state visits.

Lee and Meloni previously met at the G7 summit in Canada in June, but this marks their first formal bilateral summit.

President Lee Jae Myung and Polish President Karol Nawrocki shake hands at United Nations headquarters in New York, Wednesday, ahead of their summit meeting. Yonhap

Later Wednesday, Lee met with Polish President Karol Nawrocki at the U.N. Security Council president’s office in New York. Their discussions focused on Poland’s expanding role as Korea’s largest defense industry customer. In July, Warsaw finalized a $6.5 billion deal with Hyundai Rotem for a second batch of K2 Black Panther tanks and is pursuing additional contracts for submarines and upgraded FA-50 fighter jets.

According to the presidential office, both leaders emphasized ongoing collaboration in the defense sector, particularly on tanks, and agreed to expand cooperation to ensure mutual benefits for companies in both countries. Nawrocki praised Korea for adhering to delivery schedules on the K2 tanks, while Lee highlighted the quality, cost-effectiveness and reliability of Korean arms, suggesting that cooperation extend to other defense systems. Nawrocki welcomed the proposal, noting Poland’s recognition of the excellence of Korea’s defense industry. The leaders also agreed to strengthen ties through reciprocal visits.

Meanwhile, Lee’s planned summit with French President Emmanuel Macron was canceled. The presidential office stated that the French side requested a postponement due to urgent domestic matters requiring Macron’s immediate attention.