Cheong Wa Dae: "Lee and Macron Broaden Common Ground on the Strait of Hormuz and Ukraine; No Discussion of Troop Deployment"

【Financial News, Paris, France = Seong Seok-woo, Reporter】Cheong Wa Dae said on the 8th (local time) that President Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron broadened their common ground on major international issues, including the Strait of Hormuz and the war in Ukraine, during their summit. However, it made clear that the two sides did not discuss a specific troop deployment plan for the Strait of Hormuz.
Wi Sung-lac, head of the Office of National Security (ONS), held a briefing in Paris that day and said, "This summit served as an opportunity for the two leaders to further solidify their trust and ties by completing reciprocal state visits within five months, and, on that basis, to develop cooperation between the two countries in a more specific and substantive manner."
A senior Cheong Wa Dae official also met with reporters in Paris that day and said, "During a private luncheon, the two sides exchanged views not only on bilateral issues but also on major issues facing the international community, including the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the war in Ukraine." The official added, "By doing so, they broadened common ground on key issues between the two leaders and further solidified the global strategic partnership between the two countries by discussing ways to pursue strategic cooperation."
Regarding the Strait of Hormuz in particular, the official said, "Today, we discussed and broadened common ground on the international community’s efforts to ensure freedom of navigation through the strait and regional stability." The official added, "Based on the recognition that stability in the strait is important, President Lee held discussions with the basic position that we will work to develop specific ways to contribute based on our national interests and the consensus of our people."
However, the official drew a clear distinction against characterizing the leaders’ discussions as negotiations on troop deployment. "You should not define today’s discussions as being about troop deployment," the official said. "They concerned how we can contribute to and participate in the international solidarity proposed by France and the United Kingdom on safety and navigation issues in the strait." The official added, "Discussions continued on how we could make a substantive contribution."
On specific forms of military contribution, the official also emphasized, "All options remain open even at the review stage, and there is still no specificity." The official added, "The discussions at this summit were conducted in line with that review stage; we did not go any further than that."
Regarding reports that the Ministry of National Defense would dispatch an inspection team to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the official said, "It should be understood as part of the review process. Nothing has been decided yet."
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