Lee arrives in Brussels for summits with Belgian, EU leaders

BRUSSELS, June 9 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Brussels on Tuesday as part of his 10-day trip that will later take him to Italy before attending the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France.

On the first day of his visit to Belgium, Lee was scheduled to meet with the South Korean community.

On Wednesday, the president will hold bilateral talks with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and make a courtesy call on King Philippe.

During the meetings, Lee is expected to seek ways to expand cooperation with Belgium, including securing a stable foothold in the European market for South Korean companies, the presidential official said.

Lee's trip to Belgium comes as the two countries mark the 125th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year.

The president is also scheduled to hold summit talks with Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, the main executive body of the European Union based in Brussels.

President Lee Jae Myung (R) and first lady Kim Hea Kyung. (Yonhap)