By Lee Jon-young

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is in New York for the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, held a summit with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani on the morning of September 20 for the first time since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1963.

During the meeting, President Yoon requested Mauritania's support for the 2030 Busan World Expo and exchanged views on ways to develop bilateral relations.

President Yoon suggested that Mauritania, which has abundant mineral resources such as iron ore, copper, and gold, explore ways to strengthen cooperation in related fields. In response, President Ghazouani requested the participation of Korean companies in mineral development projects. The two leaders also discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in the fisheries sector.

President Yoon introduced the first-ever Korea-Africa Summit to be held in Seoul next year and invited President Ghazouani to attend. President Ghazouani responded by saying that he expects the 2024 Summit to be a great opportunity to develop bilateral relations.

The two leaders agreed to use the meeting as an opportunity to further enhance bilateral exchanges and continue to identify cooperative projects that will benefit both economies.