Rome, June 16 (IANS) South Korean President Lee Jae Myung left Italy on Tuesday en route to Evian-les-Bains, France, to attend a Group of Seven (G7) summit. The presidential plane carrying Lee and his entourage took off from Leonardo da Vinci International Airport for Geneva, from where the South Korean President will travel by land to the French resort town of Evian, the final stop of his ongoing trip. The President has been in Europe since last Tuesday, his first visit to the region since taking office a year earlier, to expand South Korea's diplomatic outreach to Europe, Yonhap News Agency reported. 

In Italy, the second stop of his trip following his earlier visit to Belgium, Lee held talks with President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, agreeing to elevate their countries' bilateral relations to a special strategic partnership and explore cooperation in semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI) and other strategic areas. He also held talks with Pope Leo XIV and reaffirmed the Vatican's support for Seoul's efforts to build peace on the Korean Peninsula.

In Evian, Lee is scheduled to attend the G7 summit later in the day and on Wednesday as the leader of an invited partner country, marking the second consecutive year South Korea has been invited to the gathering. On Monday, President Lee Jae Myung invited Pope Leo XIV to visit South Korea next year on the occasion of the country's hosting of World Youth Day 2027, a presidential official said. Lee offered the invitation during his meeting with the Pope at the Vatican, held during the President's visit to the Holy See as part of his broader trip to Europe.

The two leaders agreed to cooperate closely to ensure a successful hosting of World Youth Day 2027, and Lee "officially invited Pope Leo XIV to visit South Korea on that occasion," national security adviser Wi Sung-lac said in a press briefing. Lee also gave a briefing to the Pope on South Korea's initiative to build peace on the Korean Peninsula, and the Vatican reaffirmed its unwavering support for facilitating peace on the peninsula, Wi noted.

Another senior South Korean official said separately that the meeting between Lee and the Pope also covered inter-Korean issues, with both sides sharing the view that cross-border dialogue and cooperation should be pursued despite difficulties in political situations. The late Pope Francis had repeatedly expressed willingness to visit the North.

--IANS