South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met Thursday in Cairo with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, with the two sides agreeing to work together to promote regional peace and to strengthen defense industry cooperation.
"The Republic of Korea and Egypt have agreed to work together as 'facilitators of peace' and jointly contribute to international peace, including on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East," Lee, who is on a four-nation tour until Nov. 26, said during a joint news conference with Sisi, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The two sides exchanged views on expanding "mutually beneficial" defense cooperation beyond the joint production of K9 howitzers to include areas such as aircraft and ground weapons systems, Lee said.
Egypt signed a $1.7 billion contract in February 2022 with South Korea's Hanwha Defense Co. to buy K9 self-propelled howitzers and other equipment, with delivery expected next year.
"I expressed the hope that our cooperation, already exemplified by the joint production of the K-9 self-propelled howitzer, will expand to include FA-50 aircraft, the Cheongeom air-launched anti-tank guided missile and others," Lee said.
Sisi also expressed interest in joint production of weapons systems, he added.
During the summit, the two sides also signed a joint declaration to advance negotiations on a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
"The CEPA will serve as an important institutional foundation supporting broad economic cooperation," Lee said, additionally expressing hope that the negotiations "can begin as soon as possible."
Lee also said that South Korea will cooperate with Egypt to help address the humanitarian crisis facing refugees in Gaza.
The two countries also signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on areas of culture and education, according to a statement from the Egyptian government.
Later in the day, Lee unveiled a comprehensive cooperation initiative for the Middle East aimed at promoting regional peace, deepening economic partnerships, and expanding cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
Speaking at Cairo University, he outlined the "SHINE" initiative, which stands for stability, harmony, innovation, network and education, and emphasized Seoul's commitment to strengthening ties with the region, which is crucial for energy security, trade and other areas of cooperation.
"Our government aims to end the era of hostility and confrontation between the two Koreas and open a new era of peaceful coexistence and shared growth," Lee said.
"We will gradually expand inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation, support North Korea's efforts to normalize relations with the United States and the international community, and pursue a phased and pragmatic approach to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," he added.
