President Lee Holds Summit with Australian PM; Strait of Hormuz-Related Supply Chain and Defense Cooperation

【Financial News, New York (United States) = Reporter Choi Jong-geun】President Lee Jae Myung, who is visiting New York, United States, to attend the United Nations General Assembly, held a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on September 22 local time. It was their third summit meeting since Lee took office. In a relaxed atmosphere, the two leaders candidly exchanged views on bilateral relations, energy supply chains, defense-industry cooperation, matters of shared interest and international affairs.
Meeting Prime Minister Albanese at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations in New York, President Lee said, "Australia must also be facing various difficulties because of this Strait of Hormuz war, and our South Korea also experienced some disruption due to energy supply chains, but Australia helped us greatly." He continued, "Thanks to our cooperation, South Korea's energy market has remained relatively stable," and emphasized, "We are grateful for Australia's assistance, and we will cooperate as much as possible in addressing Australia's challenges and circumstances."
Prime Minister Albanese responded, "Australia and the Republic of Korea are good allies. We share a similar worldview and similar values in pursuing multilateral institutions, security and safety." He added, "We also cooperate extensively in the economic sphere, and I would like to note that we receive considerable assistance from Korea, particularly in the area of energy supply."
He also said, "I look forward to meeting you more often on the occasions of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit and Group of Twenty (G20) Summit. I also invite you to visit Australia when you are available early next year."

Seong Gi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations and communication at Cheong Wa Dae, said in a written briefing after the summit, "We once again confirmed that we are key partners who mutually rely on each other for supplies of major energy resources, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) and petroleum products. We also agreed to work closely together to build stable and resilient regional supply chains."
Prime Minister Albanese said Korea is a reliable partner for Australia in areas including critical minerals and clean energy. He added that the two countries have significant potential to further develop their cooperation by combining Korea's manufacturing capabilities with Australia's abundant resources. President Lee strongly agreed, inquired about Australia's recent policy of using renewable energy at AI data centers and energy price trends, and proposed exploring opportunities for cooperation.
Seong said, "The two leaders agreed to meet more often and communicate closely through meetings on the occasions of this year's APEC and G20 summits, as well as efforts to arrange President Lee's visit to Australia in the first half of next year."

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