Korea will take part in Gaza Strip reconstruction led by Egypt. Defense exports to the Middle East, including Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are also expected to increase.
Wi Sung-lac, chief of the Office of National Security, held a briefing at the Cairo Press Center on the 20th (local time) and relayed the outcome of the summit between President Lee Jae-myung and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Marking the summit, Korea and Egypt signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen cooperation in education and culture.
Wi said, "President Lee and President el-Sisi spent four and a half hours together, well beyond the initially scheduled two hours and 45 minutes," adding, "This visit is the first to an African country since the inauguration of the president and, for a Korean president, the first case of visiting Egypt in the first year in office."
Wi said that, spurred by this summit, Korea plans to provide various support for Middle East peace. Participation in Egypt's Gaza Strip reconstruction drive is one of them. Wi said, "Egypt is preparing an international conference on reconstruction, and it looks set to be a venue where multiple countries take part and present their contributions," adding, "Whether through financial support or private-sector participation, we intend to participate in some form and contribute."
Cooperation in the defense sector also took concrete shape. Wi said, "There were quite a number of discussions in the defense sector, including the FA-50 and anti-tank weapons."
Details also emerged on the "special strategic partnership" with the UAE. Earlier, President Lee visited the UAE and agreed to advance defense cooperation beyond exporting defense materiel to include joint development of defense materiel, technology cooperation, and local production.
Wi said, "We are pursuing local production with the UAE, and based on that, we are also envisioning joint entry into third countries."
After completing the Egypt leg, President Lee will travel to South Africa and begin the G20 summit schedule on the 22nd. Wi said, "By attending the G20 summit, we will take the lead in bolstering our standing as a responsible global nation and in creating conditions to restore the multilateral trading system," adding, "On the sidelines of the G20 summit, we plan to hold bilateral talks with France and Germany and also convene a leaders' meeting of MIKTA, a middle-power grouping."