The presidential office said on the 23rd that President Lee Jae-myung held back-to-back meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in South Africa on the 22nd local time, where the Group of 20 (G20) summit is being held.

President Lee Jae-myung holds an informal pull-aside with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, where the G20 summit is taking place on the 22nd (local time). /Courtesy of G20 Organizing Committee

The presidential office conveyed this in a press release distributed to the press corps that day. The meeting between President Lee and Prime Minister Modi was arranged at Modi's request, it said. The two were said to have exchanged greetings with a warm embrace.

Prime Minister Modi told President Lee, "I highly value Korea's shipbuilding capabilities," and proposed, "Let's pursue mini-lateral cooperation, including in shipbuilding, with Korea and India." The presidential office said he added, "I also hope we will solidify bilateral cooperation in the defense sector."

President Lee and Prime Minister Modi also agreed on the need to enhance bilateral cooperation in various fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the defense industry, and decided to push forward related working-level consultations.

Prime Minister Modi expressed an invitation, asking President Lee to "visit India." In response, President Lee was quoted as saying, "I want to boost exchanges with India in many areas, including the economy, culture, and security. I hope to visit soon."

President Lee Jae-myung chats with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, where the G20 summit is taking place on the 22nd (local time). /Courtesy of G20 Organizing Committee

In the subsequent summit, President Lee and President Lula were said to have remarked that "the two countries should build a shared success story of democracy and economic growth." They also agreed that the two countries would engage and cooperate across the government, including diplomacy, finance, industry, technology, education, and energy. In addition, they agreed to work to strengthen comprehensive cooperation that includes the private sector, such as businesspeople.

President Lee was said to have told President Lula, "I look forward to your visit to Korea." In response, President Lula said, "I definitely want to visit Korea," and added, "I hope President Lee will visit Brazil next year, and if the visit takes place, we will offer the best possible hospitality."

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