S. Korea, EU begin talks to facilitate exchange of classified information through security information agreement; set to launch high-level dialogue on economic security, energy President Lee Jae Myung (front left) and his wife Kim Hea Kyung (front right) arrive at Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Rome, Wednesday. (Newsis) President Lee Jae Myung landed in Rome on Wednesday night, before he was expected to meet with counterparts and visit Vatican City for the second leg of his 10-day European trip.Lee arrived at Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport to embark on the state visit there. Before his landing, Air Force One was escorted by Italian fighter jets.Lee was to meet Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Thursday for the first time since Lee's inauguration just over a year ago and to hold talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for a third time on Friday. Lee last met Meloni in January, when she traveled to South Korea on an official visit.Lee is also set to visit the Vatican, home to the governing authority of the Catholic Church. His trip to the landlocked city-state will take place on Sunday and Monday. Lee will hold talks with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Monday.Before his arrival in Italy, Lee stopped by Brussels for talks with leaders of the European Union, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. An Italian fighter jet is seen from South Korea's Air Force One en route from Brussels to Rome, Wednesday. (Pool photo via Yonhap) During the meeting held at the Council of the European Union, Lee hailed the agreement to facilitate the exchange of classified information through a new pact between South Korea and the EU.Negotiations on the Security of Information Agreement between South Korea and the EU that kicked off on the occasion of the summit will "enable us to securely share classified information and to actively pursue industrial and research cooperation," Lee said in a joint press conference in Brussels.The Digital Trade Agreement was also signed between South Korea and the EU to streamline administrative procedures through paperless trade, electronic authentication and digital signatures. The pact will "help create a stable and predictable environment for data-driven business and promote the continued growth of digital trade " between South Korea and the EU, Lee said.In an X post, Lee said these agreements will "serve as important building blocks" for expanding Korea–EU cooperation in security and defense cooperation and trade and the digital economy."Separately, South Korea and the EU have concluded the Agreement on the Transfer of Passenger Name Record Data for the Prevention, Detection, Investigation and Prosecution of Terrorist Offenses and Serious Crime. Lee said the agreement will allow South Korean customs authorities to obtain passenger name record data from EU-registered airlines, which would tackle the rise in the smuggling of narcotics, firearms and other dangerous items into South Korea. South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung (left) poses with European Union Council President Antonio Costa (center) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after the signature ceremony of a trade agreement as part of an EU-Republic of Korea Summit in Brussels on Wednesday. (AFP-Yonhap) A joint statement between South Korea and the EU also indicated that the two are set to launch a High-Level Economic Dialogue to deepen our cooperation on economic security, trade and industrial policy.Furthermore, the leaders pledged to join hands to address shared security and defense challenges in Europe and Indo-Pacific regions.Concerning the Iran war, the leaders called for deescalation and restraint in the Strait of Hormuz over recent developments in the Middle East, urging dialogue and diplomacy, not armed conflict, to resolve tensions.Lee became the first president to visit Brussels and meet EU leaders in eight years since former liberal President Moon Jae-in.Before the meeting, Lee also held talks with Prime Minister Bart De Wever, followed by a summit with King Philippe of Belgium.On the occasion of Lee's meeting with De Wever, the two countries signed a document to nurture bilateral cooperation for the growth of startups and small and mid-sized enterprises of both countries. Another document between the Korea Foundation and KU Leuven aimed to establish an official Korean studies professorship in the Catholic research university in Leuven, Belgium. First lady Kim Hea Kyung (third from left) attends a classical music performance by South Korean performers in the South Korean Embassy to Belgium on Wednesday. (Yonhap) While in Brussels, first lady Kim Hea Kyung on Wednesday met young South Korean classical music performers, including cellist Kim Tae-yeon, who was the runner-up in this year's Queen Elisabeth Competition, at the South Korean Embassy to Belgium.Kim, who majored in piano performance at Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul, said she "felt proud" to see Korean musicians boosting their international profile as the artists performed. The first lady also expressed her admiration for them for "not giving up" and challenging themselves.