President Lee Jae Myung, left, shakes hands with an official during his meeting with foreign ministers and senior officials from 19 African countries at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday met with foreign ministers and senior officials from 19 African countries, pledging to strengthen cooperation with their countries, including through regular summits with leaders from the region.The meeting at Cheong Wa Dae came a day after Seoul hosted the Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers' Meeting, which brought together foreign ministers and representatives from 50 African countries.In a joint statement adopted at the meeting, the participants agreed to strengthen economic and strategic cooperation in areas including supply chains and critical minerals.On Tuesday, Lee met with foreign ministers and representatives from 19 African countries, including Egypt and Kenya, as well as officials from regional organizations, such as the African Union."Africa is a continent with significant potential for growth and development, but unfortunately (Seoul) has not been able to focus on it sufficiently," Lee said at the opening of the meeting."I want to say that the Korean government, since my inauguration, has been paying special attention to various countries in Africa," the president stressed.Noting that Korea, like many African countries, is a nation that was once under colonial rule, the president emphasized Seoul's willingness to "go hand in hand" with the region.The president also expressed hope that summit talks and foreign ministers' meetings between Korea and African countries will be held regularly to increase cooperation and explore mutually beneficial areas.Seoul currently seeks to host a summit with African countries in 2029.