South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday they planned to boost defense cooperation and work together to address the economic and energy crises triggered by the war in Iran.
Macron arrived in South Korea on Thursday for a two-day state visit after also visiting Japan, and held a summit in Seoul on Friday.
It is the first state visit by a French president since 2015 and French officials have said the trip aims to strengthen France’s strategic and economic role in the region at a time of “strong international and regional tensions.”
“President Macron and I agreed to share policy-related experiences and strategies in order to jointly address the economic and energy crises triggered by the Middle East war,” Lee said after the summit.
The leaders also confirmed their commitment to bolstering energy security, including by collaborating to secure safe maritime transport routes through the Strait of Hormuz, he said.
