President Lee Jae-myung and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk agreed on the need to stabilize supply chains amid the Middle East war and pledged to "continue necessary cooperation" during a summit at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday.
"Based on the deep trust we have built, we agreed to elevate our bilateral relationship to a 'comprehensive strategic partnership,'" Lee said at a joint press statement following the meeting. The two leaders emphasized the close connection between Korean Peninsula and European security, and agreed to work together for peace and prosperity.
"The Prime Minister and I agreed, above all, that security on the Korean Peninsula and in Europe is closely connected," Lee said. "We agreed that both countries will work for peace and prosperity in their respective regions while also working together for peace at the global level."
Lee added that both countries recognized the importance of stabilizing global supply chains to address the crisis caused by the Middle East war and agreed to continue cooperation to that end.
"We are currently facing an unstable international situation and various crises around the world," Tusk said. "We must join forces for new peace."
Lee introduced a Polish proverb with a similar meaning to the Korean expression "birds of a feather flock together," saying in Polish that the shared historical ties and cultural affinity between the two countries enabled them to strengthen their strategic partnership in an unprecedentedly short time.
"Today's summit will serve as a milestone in taking our bilateral relationship to the next level by sharing a vision and exploring ways to cooperate based on deep mutual trust," Lee emphasized.
The joint statement included a firm commitment to expand cooperation into comprehensive and future-oriented areas including advanced industries, science and technology, space, energy, and infrastructure.
On defense cooperation, Lee said, "Defense cooperation between our two countries has been leaping toward the future since we signed a framework contract worth approximately $44.2 billion in 2022." He told Tusk that stable implementation of the signed framework contract is necessary for bilateral defense cooperation to deepen and develop further.
"The core driver of our bilateral relationship remains defense industry cooperation," Tusk said. "We want to continue this cooperation and accelerate technology transfer, localization in Poland, and the relocation of production facilities to Poland."
Regarding the expansion of cooperation, Lee mentioned the portfolio diversification of Korean electric vehicle battery companies investing in Poland and said he "requested the Polish government's interest and active support for our companies."
Lee also said he "requested special attention so that our companies can participate in major infrastructure projects in Poland, including the new airport connection and the replacement of Warsaw trams."
"Korea is Asia's largest investor in Poland," Tusk responded. "We will continue to ensure that the investment environment for Korean companies in Poland remains as favorable as possible."
Lee added that the two governments agreed to support joint research to expand bilateral cooperation into advanced science fields such as hydrogen, nano-materials, and space, and also discussed coordinating direct flight routes to increase people-to-people exchanges.
Tusk added that the two countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in the food industry. "I am grateful that President Lee fully understands our expectations for expanding Polish products in the Korean market," he said.
