On the sidelines of the G7 Summit in the United Kingdom, President Moon Jae-in held a pull-aside meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the summit lounge in Carbis Bay from 11:35 to 11:45 this morning.

The two leaders shared updates on the state of their economies and fight against COVID-19. President Macron highly praised Korea’s rapid economic recovery. 

The French President expressed his earnest hope for stronger cooperation with Korea in core technology sectors. He said he looked forward to strengthening Korea-France cooperative bodies in various areas, especially such cutting-edge technology fields as semiconductors and electric vehicles as well as in the healthcare and energy sectors.

In reply, President Moon said, “Korea also hopes to enhance cooperation in the relevant areas at the bilateral or Korea-EU level.”

President Macron emphasized that cooperating on culture and education is an important pillar for sustaining bilateral relations. President Moon expressed his complete agreement and added, “As the digital and green transitions are now underway, I look forward to our countries strengthening cooperation to nurture artificial intelligence and software professionals.”

While explaining the results of the ROK-U.S. summit, including the U.S. Government’s reaffirming its commitment to the Singapore Joint Statement, President Moon mentioned expectations for improving inter-Korean and North Korea-U.S. relations. President Macron reiterated his strong support for the peace process on the Korean Peninsula.

The two leaders also exchanged views on national security and other issues of mutual interest.