President Lee Concludes Italy Visit, Heads to G7 Summit in France

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has concluded his 6-day state visit to Italy and the Vatican, departing from Rome's Leonardo da Vinci International Airport on June 16 (local time) for Evian, France. He is set to participate in the G7 summit, where he aims to discuss enhancing development cooperation and fostering global AI initiatives.

During his Italian tour, President Lee held back-to-back summit meetings with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. He also met with parliamentary leaders and paid respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, seeking to elevate bilateral relations between South Korea and Italy. Lee attended a Korea-Italy business forum to explore economic cooperation and visited the Vatican, meeting Pope Francis to exchange views on world peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Upon arrival in Evian, President Lee will commence his official schedule with a commemorative photo session with French President Emmanuel Macron and other invited heads of state. He is slated to attend the first session of the G7 expanded meeting, titled 'Building New Partnerships and Rebuilding International Solidarity.' Here, he intends to discuss strategies for strengthening development cooperation in response to changing global aid environments.

President Lee plans to emphasize the need for new partnerships between donor and recipient countries within frameworks like the G7. He will highlight how recipient nations can utilize public funds to stimulate private investment and promote economic self-reliance. Additionally, he is expected to share South Korea's vision for establishing a global AI basic society and a global AI hub, outlining government efforts in artificial intelligence development.