President Lee: "Energy Stability Thanks to Australia"; Australian Prime Minister: "South Korea Is a Good Friend"

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Official Invitation for Visit to Australia Early Next Year

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On the 22nd (local time), President Lee Jae-myung held a summit with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, where both leaders highly praised bilateral cooperation in response to energy supply chain instability caused by the Hormuz war. Prime Minister Albanese officially invited President Lee to visit Australia early next year.

President Lee Jae-myung and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are holding a bilateral meeting on the 22nd (local time) at the Ban Ki-moon Hall of the United Nations Mission in New York, USA. 2026.9.23 Yonhap News Photo by Yonhap

While visiting New York, USA, to attend the United Nations General Assembly, President Lee met with Prime Minister Albanese at the Ban Ki-moon Hall of the United Nations Mission and made these remarks. Arriving at the meeting venue first, President Lee greeted Prime Minister Albanese with a handshake and a brief embrace as he entered.

The two leaders reaffirmed that both countries are key partners reliant on each other for major energy supplies such as LNG and petroleum products, especially as they jointly respond to the Middle East energy crisis. They also agreed to work closely together to establish a stable and resilient regional supply chain.

In his opening remarks, President Lee referred to the recent energy supply chain instability resulting from the Hormuz war and expressed his gratitude for Australia’s cooperation. President Lee said, "Australia must also be facing various difficulties due to the Hormuz war, and Korea likewise experienced some disruptions in its energy supply chain. Thanks to Australia’s generous assistance and our joint efforts, Korea’s energy market has remained relatively stable."

He added, "I am grateful for Australia’s support, and we will do our utmost to help resolve Australia’s challenges and circumstances as well." This statement signaled his intention to continue close cooperation with Australia, a major partner for resources and energy, at a time when instability in the Middle East is shaking international energy markets and supply chains.

Responding to this, Prime Minister Albanese said, "Australia and Korea are good friends," emphasizing that the two nations share similar worldviews and values, including a commitment to multilateral organizations, security, and safety.

The leaders also highlighted cooperation in the economic sphere. Prime Minister Albanese stated, "There has been significant collaboration in economic sectors as well," pointing out the close partnership between both countries in energy procurement. President Lee expressed strong agreement and, referring to Australia’s recent policy on utilizing renewable energy for AI data centers and energy price trends, suggested that both countries continue to explore further avenues for cooperation.

President Lee Jae-myung and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are exchanging greetings ahead of a bilateral meeting held at the Ban Ki-moon Hall of the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA, on the 22nd (local time). 2026.9.23 Yonhap News Agency

Prime Minister Albanese also expressed his intention to maintain high-level contact between the two countries’ leaders during future multilateral summits. He said, "I hope to meet you more frequently during the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit and the Group of Twenty (G20) Summit." He then extended an official invitation for President Lee to visit Australia early next year at his convenience.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.