Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta will separately visit South Korea this week to hold summits with President Lee Jae Myung, a presidential spokesperson said Sunday.
Erdogan is set to visit to South Korea from Monday through Wednesday on a state visit that will include a summit with Lee on Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said.
It marks Erdogan's first trip to South Korea since 2018, as well as the second meeting between the South Korean and Turkish leaders since Lee visited Turkey last November to attend a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara.
During Tuesday's summit, the leaders are expected to discuss ways to boost bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, the defense industry, nuclear power plants and other future industries, while sharing views on the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East.
Kang said the upcoming trip by Erdogan is expected to help further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries ahead of their 70th anniversary next year of establishing diplomatic relations.
The East Timorese president is, meanwhile, schedule to visit South Korea from Thursday through Saturday on an official visit, marking the first trip to South Korea by an East Timorese leader since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 2002.
The upcoming trip is taking place at the invitation of Lee, Kang also said.
Lee and Horta will hold a summit on Friday, followed by a signing ceremony for memorandums of understanding between the two countries, an official luncheon and a joint press announcement.
The two leaders are expected to explore ways to enhance tangible cooperation in various fields, including diplomacy, security, intellectual property, climate change and human exchanges, while exchanging views on international issues, Kang noted.
Horta's visit will serve to deepen cooperation between the two countries and may help South Korea contribute to East Timor's sustainable development as well as regional peace and prosperity, the spokesperson said. (Yonhap)
