Leaders of S. Korea, Italy agree to upgrade ties, expand economic cooperation
ROME, Oct. 17 (Yonhap) -- The leaders of South Korea and Italy agreed Wednesday to upgrade the countries' relationship to a strategic partnership, setting a diplomatic framework to push for deeper political, security and economic cooperation.
In a summit in Rome, President Moon Jae-in and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte agreed that the two countries will establish vice ministerial-level diplomatic dialogue and a joint committee for industrial and energy cooperation, Moon's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.
"In the summit, the two leaders agreed to upgrade the countries' ties to a strategic partnership while holding in-depth discussions on ways to increase their practical cooperation in the political and defense sectors and the development of trade, investment and science technology to jointly prepare for the fourth industrial revolution," Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release.
Moon arrived in Rome on Tuesday for the second leg of his five-nation European tour, which earlier took him to Paris.
Moon asked the Italian leader to support his country's efforts to peacefully denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. He explained details of his three summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this year, in which Kim confirmed his decision to denuclearize.
"Prime Minister Conte highly evaluated our government's leadership that led to the recent positive changes on the Korean Peninsula and expressed his unwavering support for our government's North Korea policy," Cheong Wa Dae said.
The summit followed Moon's meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella earlier in the day.
The South Korean president will begin an official visit to the Vatican later in the day and attend a special Mass for peace on the Korean Peninsula to be presided over by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary of state of the Holy See.
Moon is scheduled to meet Pope Francis on Thursday.
Moon embarked on the Europe trip Saturday, seeking to expand bilateral ties and rally international support for his peace initiative.
While in France, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, Moon stressed the need for the world body to consider easing its sanctions against the North when and if the country's denuclearization process reaches a point of no return.
The South Korean president insists that giving Pyongyang a taste of economic and diplomatic concessions it could enjoy when it completely abandons its nuclear weapons program would encourage the impoverished nation to further accelerate its denuclearization process.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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