Seoul:Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta are scheduled to visit South Korea this week for separate summits with President Lee Jae Myung, as confirmed by a presidential spokesperson on Sunday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Erdogan's state visit will take place from Monday through Wednesday, marking his first trip to South Korea since 2018. The visit includes a summit with President Lee on Tuesday. This will be their second meeting following Lee's visit to Turkey last November for a NATO summit in Ankara. The discussions are expected to cover bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, the defense industry, nuclear power, and other future industries, with additional dialogues on the Korean Peninsula and Middle Eastern situations.
The visit by President Erdogan is anticipated to bolster the strategic partnership between South Korea and Turkey as they approach the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year. Meanwhile, President Ramos-Horta's visit from Thursday through Saturday will be the first by an East Timorese leader to South Korea since diplomatic relations were established in 2002.
President Lee will host a summit with President Ramos-Horta on Friday, which will include a signing ceremony for memorandums of understanding, an official luncheon, and a joint press announcement. The two leaders aim to enhance cooperation in areas such as diplomacy, security, intellectual property, climate change, and human exchanges, while also discussing international issues. This visit is expected to deepen cooperation between South Korea and East Timor, potentially aiding in East Timor's sustainable development and contributing to regional peace and prosperity.