Brussels: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held summit talks Wednesday with the prime minister of Belgium in Brussels, where he is also scheduled to meet with leaders of the European Union (EU). During his first talks as president with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, the two leaders agreed to work together to expand investment between their countries in areas including the battery, materials, and energy sectors. Lee also requested Belgium's attention and support for Seoul's efforts to ensure peace on the Korean Peninsula, while De Wever pledged to contribute to peace and stability on the peninsula as a member of the United Nations.
According to Yonhap News Agency, later Wednesday, the president also held a meeting with King Philippe of Belgium. The president was scheduled to hold talks in the afternoon with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and Antonio Luis Santos da Costa, president of the European Council, to discuss bilateral cooperation.
Brussels is the first stop in Lee's ongoing trip to Europe, which will also take him to Italy and then to France, marking his first visit to the region since taking office a year earlier. Lee's trip to Brussels marks the first visit by a South Korean president to the city in eight years, as his administration seeks to broaden diplomatic outreach.