President Lee Departs Ankara for Mongolia After NATO Summit

By Park Boram

ANKARA, July 8 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday departed Ankara where he attended the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, en route to Mongolia where he will pay a state visit and hold a bilateral summit with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh.

His departure wrapped up his two-day visit to the Turkish capital, where he also held a series of bilateral meetings with NATO leaders, including Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Lee agreed to launch negotiations for a basic procurement agreement with the alliance, the world's biggest defense market.

Seoul's National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said the agreement, if reached, would establish an institutional foundation for South Korean companies to participate in NATO's joint defense procurement market, which is estimated to be worth 15 trillion won (US$9.9 billion) annually.

At a NATO summit defense industry forum, Lee delivered a keynote speech, proposing joint defense research, procurement and operation programs with the alliance.

Lee is scheduled to arrive Thursday in Ulaanbaatar, becoming the first South Korean president to pay a state visit to Mongolia in 15 years.

The visit will include a summit with the Mongolian president, as well as his attendance at a business forum aimed at exploring new areas of cooperation.