French President Emmanuel Macron and his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk-Yeol on Tuesday showed their desire to work for a “free and open” Indo-Pacific zone and to strengthen economic cooperation between their two countries in a “tangible way “.
“We have the same ambition of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” welcomed Emmanuel Macron, receiving his host at the Elysee Palace for a working lunch, referring to the rise of China, the Sino-American rivalry and the desire of the countries of the region to preserve an area of stability and free movement.
France itself claims a strategic role in this region where it is militarily present through various territories such as New Caledonia and French Polynesia.
Many areas of cooperation
The two presidents also reaffirmed their support for each other in various regional crises, from Russia’s offensive in Ukraine to North Korea’s nuclear program.
The French president, who will receive the heads of eight large South Korean groups this Wednesday at the Élysée Palace, cited energy, civil nuclear energy, batteries, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, space, the defense and aeronautics.
France sees in particular opportunities for cooperation in civil nuclear power, the share of which Seoul wants to increase in its energy mix.
The heads of Hyundai, LG or Samsung in the Elysée
The Head of State will receive the leaders of the SK Holdings, Hyosung, Hanjin KAL and Korean Air, Hyundai Motor, Hanhwa, LG and Samsung Electronics groups.
More specifically, he will hold bilateral talks with Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Holdings, on semiconductors, and Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, also on semiconductors but also chips, batteries and photovoltaics.
France has an ambitious program of “gigafactories” (very large factories) for batteries for electric cars in the north of the country, particularly around Dunkirk.
A branch of the Pompidou Center, a famous contemporary art museum in Paris, will also open in 2025 in Seoul, in partnership with the Hanwha group.
Source: BFM TV
