President Lee holds first summit with South African president to ”expand energy cooperation”

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who is visiting Canada to attend the G7 summit, will hold a bilateral summit with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
At their first summit since President Lee took office, the two leaders pledged to expand substantive cooperation in areas including trade, investment and energy, and to strengthen cooperation in the international community.
President Lee, who met with President Ramaphosa on the 16th, said, "South Africa is a country that sent troops during the Korean War and has built a long and friendly relationship with South Korea.
"Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1992, cooperation has expanded in various fields," he said, adding, "We will work closely together to further develop practical cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the fields of trade, investment and energy."
President Ramaphosa said, "I congratulate the new South Korean government on its inauguration. South Korea and South Africa are valuable partners who share the same democracy. I hope that we can work together in various fields, including politics and the economy.
President Lee also said, "South Africa is the largest economy in Africa and a strategic gateway for Korea's expansion into Africa. We will continue to strengthen cooperation in the fields of energy, manufacturing, and other areas."
In response, President Ramaphosa said, "Korean companies have made a great contribution to job creation and industrial development in South Africa.
"We are looking forward to continued investment," he said. The summit also discussed cooperation in the areas of education and technical training. President Ramaphosa said, "I hope that the investment will continue to grow in the future."
President Lee expressed his desire to cooperate with South Korea, saying that education is very important in the future, and expressed his intention to expand cooperation in related areas. The two leaders also discussed regional situations, including those on the Korean Peninsula and in Africa, and the promotion of international peace.
President Lee especially praised South Africa for being the first African country to chair the G20 and said he would continue to work closely with the country.
President Ramaphosa expressed his hopes for the success of the G20 summit to be held in Johannesburg in January. He said, "I would like to cooperate closely with Korea in multilateral forums as well," and added, "I would like to meet President Lee Jae Myung at the G20 summit."
I look forward to meeting you," he said.