Ankara: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte engaged in defense procurement discussions during a meeting on the sidelines of the alliance's summit in Trkiye. Lee emphasized that a procurement agreement could serve as a strong foundation for South Korean defense companies to expand their presence in the NATO defense market.

According to Anadolu Agency, Lee expressed his pleasure at meeting Rutte in person for the first time, highlighting their discussion on strengthening the bilateral partnership. Rutte, in turn, thanked the South Korean president for his efforts to enhance ties between Seoul and NATO. In a post on the US social media platform X, Rutte remarked on South Korea being "a close partner" of NATO, underlining the interconnected nature of global security.

The Ankara summit brings together leaders from the 32-member alliance and key partners to deliberate on Europe's defense capabilities, NATO's defense spending targets, military modernization, and continued support for Ukraine. Although not NATO members, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan have been invited to the alliance's annual summits since 2022 as guests.

This meeting marks the second NATO summit hosted by Trkiye, following the 2004 Istanbul summit. The event also facilitates bilateral meetings between Trkiye and allied countries, focusing on political, security, and economic cooperation.